Vengeance
by Poohbear-29
Summary: Someone tries to take out Steve and Five-0
1. Chapter 1

Author-Vengeance

Rating-T

Author-Winnie

Characters-Steve McGarrett, Danny Williams, Chin Ho Kelly, Kono Kalakaua

Disclaimers-Not mine, sniffles….but I do enjoy playing around

Comments-This is my take on how they can explain changing Five-O headquarters if they do have to move the offices. Thanks to Dawn for her help with the injury in this one.

Steve McGarrett sat at his desk, a cup of strong black coffee in his right hand while he looked at the papers on his desk. It was early morning and for the moment he was alone. There were several things he needed to go over before his meeting with Governor Denning at noon and he'd been here since six.

Steve heard voices from the outer office and knew it was Chin and Kono. It was a little after eight and they were already talking about the Harrison case. It was the reason for his meeting with Denning, and he had a feeling the Governor would not be happy with what they'd found.

"Hey, Boss, you're in early," Kono said.

"Paperwork," McGarrett told her.

"For your meeting with the governor?" Chin asked.

"I figure I'd better know this stuff front and back if I'm going to convince him his friend is guilty of embezzling funds from the charity he's supposed to run," McGarrett answered.

"I don't envy you on this one Steve," Chin told him.

"I guess that means you're not volunteering to go in my place."

"Not even lunch at the Governor's mansion could make me do that," Chin said.

"Make you do what?" Danny Williams asked. He'd been stuck behind a traffic accident and for a while he wasn't sure he'd make it to the office before noon.

"Take Steve's place with the governor," Kono answered.

"Ah, yes, the inevitable wine and dine before…"

"Danny, it's lunch," McGarrett said and frowned when he saw a young man being escorted into the outer office. "Kono, looks like you've got a delivery."

"Well, Cuz, maybe Adam Nashimuri is a lover not a fighter," Chin said.

"It is Valentine's Day," Kono said.

"Commander McGarrett," the young man said.

"That's me," the SEAL said.

"Ah, Steve, I'm telling Catherine," Williams said.

"What makes you think she didn't send them?" McGarrett asked.

"I believe grenade launchers and explosive detonators would be more along the line of romantic weapons you two would share," the Jersey native told him.

"Commander, where would you like me to put this?"

"Put them on the cabinet in the corner," McGarrett answered.

"Is there a card?" Chin asked.

"Yes, Sir," the deliveryman said.

"Get out," McGarrett told them.

"Come on, Steve, it's not every day someone sends you flowers. Why don't you open the card at least?" Williams asked.

"Commander, would you like me to take them out of the wrap?"

McGarrett nodded as his phone rang and he motioned for Danny, Chin, and Kono to leave while he took the call. "McGarrett."

"Enjoy the flowers, Steven, they were chosen just for you."

"Who is this?" McGarrett asked, but whoever the caller was had already hung up. He turned to see the vase of flowers as the deliveryman took them from the wrap. Something about it sent his instincts into a frenzy and he knew he had to warn the others of the impending doom rearing its ugly head. "Get out!"

"What?" the young man asked and turned to see the liquid churning in the glass vase.

"Steve, what's wrong?" Chin asked.

"Get out!" the SEAL had time to repeat his warning before hell rained down on his office.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion, but Steve knew that was simply his mind playing tricks on him. The single black rose at the center of the floral arrangement spoke volumes as whatever was in the bottom mixed and churned. He'd managed to shout out a warning, but not in time to save the young man's life as the explosive reacted to whatever catalyst its creator intended.

McGarrett felt the air explode around him as he was lifted off his feet. Everything that had been around the vase was destroyed in the initial blast as pictures, awards, and furniture exploded to become flying projectiles. Even immovable objects were picked up and thrown by the explosion that was a deadly force created by man and intended to maim or kill everything in its destructive path. Something struck Steve's lower back, hurtling him into the wall as glass exploded and the outer office was filled with the remnants of his furnishings.

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

Williams had heard McGarrett's warning, but was slow in reacting as the force of the blast seemed to eviscerate McGarrett's office. He saw the young man lifted off his feet and was pretty sure there wasn't much left of him. His mind registered the heat from the explosion at the same time his eyes caught sight of his partner's body hitting the wall. He felt something impact with the right side of his body and was thrown backward by the force of the explosion. A dark veil, filled with fiery images fell over him as the deafening roar continued around him.

Chin had time to throw himself at Kono and use his body as a human shield, but the force of the blast threw them both against the computer table. Glass and other debris became missiles and rained down around them. Something struck his lower leg, but the pain didn't register as he tried to protect his cousin. The world around them was heated as flames violently ignited everything in their path while thick black, smoke blanketed what was left of the office

Kono tried to push her cousin off as her world became a chaotic jumble of what had once been Five-O headquarters. The smell of smoke and something she couldn't quite grasp permeated the immediate area as Chin finally rolled off her. She wasn't sure if she heard alarms going off, but it could have been the remnants of the explosion playing tricks on her senses.

The air was alive with the acrid smell of smoke as the dust and debris settled, leaving the office unnaturally still after the effects of the explosion died down. Chin opened his eyes and groaned as he lay on his back, fighting to breathe as smoke, thick and heavy, lingered in the air above him. He coughed, and turned onto his side as Kono climbed to her hands and knees beside him.

"Chin…y…you okay?" Kono asked, and coughed as she inhaled the rancid smoke. She couldn't see Danny or Steve, but she remembered seeing the deliveryman, and tried not to think about how close he and Steve were to the explosive device.

"Ask m…me later…need to get o…out."

"I know..."

"Get the extinguisher now!" Duke Lukela shouted as smoke, thick and acrid permeated the area and moved through the open doorway of Five-O headquarters. The alarms were shrill and he could hear people exiting the building as several officers moved to care for the injured. The initial blast had all but destroyed the offices, but smoke and flames were as dangerous as the explosion itself.

"Duke, make sure everyone's out!" Chin called through gasping breaths as he helped his cousin to her feet. He grabbed the edge of the ruined computer table as a wave of dizziness threatened to floor him.

"Chin…Da…Danny's over there!" Kono called and staggered toward the trapped man. She knelt down, blinking sweat or blood from her eyes. Whatever it was she didn't give a damn because right now Danny Williams was her priority.

"Duke, we need paramedics and the bomb squad here ASAP," Chin gasped, holding his arms tight against his ribs as he moved to help Kono with their friend.

Williams seemed to be trapped beneath what was left of a filing cabinet, and Chin looked at Kono when she touched her fingers against his neck.

"He's alive," Kono said and glanced toward McGarrett's office as several emergency personnel hurried toward them. She recognized Duke even with his face covered by an oxygen mask.

"Bomb squad and paramedics are on the way. You two need to get outside," Lukela said and looked toward McGarrett's office. "Was Steve….was he in there?"

"Yes," Chin said, moving aside as two officers worked to move the heavy filing cabinet.

Kono stood and wiped her hand across her forehead, not really surprised to see blood when she looked at her fingers. Her head pounded with every beat of her heart, but she needed to check on McGarrett and moved to the ruined office. She couldn't see anything through the flames and smoke, but she thought she heard someone cough. "Steve!"

"Kono, get outside. We've got people who are equipped to go in there!" Lukela ordered.

"Steve!" she called again.

McGarrett wasn't sure if he'd even lost consciousness, but Kono's worried voice brought him back to the reality of what had once been his office. He rolled onto his back, grunting as pain slammed through his right arm and abdomen. He wanted to lay back and close his eyes as the smoke burned his eyes and lungs, but Kono's worried calls had him fighting to get to his feet. He needed to know that everyone was all right.

"Steve!"

"I'm…he…" he tried, but wound up grasping his abdomen as he choked on the acrid smelling smoke.

"Come on, Steve, I got you," Lukela said.

"Danny and Chin?" McGarrett managed between hitching breaths. He'd heard Kono and hoped that meant that she wasn't hurt.

"I'm trying to get Chin and Kono out of here," Lukela answered as he supported McGarrett to the outer office.

"Dan…Danny?"

"He's trapped," Lukela answered and felt McGarrett trying to pull away from him. "Don't… we've got people helping him."

"I can help…"

"Sure you can, by getting out of the building. This whole place could come down any minute," Lukela warned, but relinquished his hold as McGarrett's stubborn streak came through in full force.

Steve started barking orders that, even to his own ears, sounded like he was talking through crushed glass. "Kono, get out of here. Chin, make sure you both get checked over."

"Steve…"

"I'll be right behind you!" McGarrett said as emergency workers and firemen began working to put out the flames in what had once been his inner sanctum. He knelt beside Williams, worried that the man was still unconscious, but relieved that he seemed to be breathing on his own.

"Commander, we need you to stay back so we can get him out," a man ordered.

Steve knew he wouldn't be much help, but that didn't mean he couldn't be there in case his friend regained consciousness. He looked toward the outer door and realized the initial blast had taken out Five-O headquarters and the surrounding offices. The liquid explosive had done more to take out the building than an earthquake at the same level. He thought about the young man who'd delivered the flowers and stood on shaky legs as the paramedics arrived and moved to treat Williams as the rescue workers tried to remove the debris from around his lower body.

Steve could hear the firemen in his office and reached for an emergency oxygen mask offered by a fireman. He mumbled a quick thanks before putting it on and stepping into the smoke enshrouded room. The windows had shattered in the explosion and Steve could hear people outside and even the sound of a newspaper reporter, but the ringing in his ears was growing steadily worse.

"Commander, you shouldn't be in here!" a fireman told him.

"Did you find…there was a young man here, but he was so close to the explosion…I don't know if he…if he survived," McGarrett said.

"There's no one else, here, Commander…"

"You might want to take a look at this," a young female firefighter called from the far corner.

"What is it?" the older fireman asked.

"It's part of…it's a leg," the woman said. There was no disgust in her voice, just the sorrow that someone had lost their life here and it was time to get the coroner involved.

"It belongs to the kid who delivered the flowers," McGarrett managed, but was shaken to the core as the accumulated smoke he'd inhaled made him cough. He lifted the oxygen mask off his face and leaned forward with his hands on his knees.

"That does it, Commander, there's nothing more you can do here, but you need to get checked out," the fire chief ordered and motioned to one of his men. "Garcia, get him out of here and if he refuses just throw him over your shoulders!"

"You heard him, Commander," John Garcia said and moved to lift McGarrett when the stubborn man refused to move. "Come on, or do I have to carry you?"

"I can w…walk," McGarrett ground out and glared at the big man as he fixed the oxygen mask back over his mouth and nose. He walked to the outer office, but instead of heading for the door he moved to the area where Paramedics and rescue workers were trying to free Williams.

"Commander, the chief wanted me to escort you outside," Garcia told him.

"I need to be here," McGarrett said and watched Danny's face.

"Come on, Steve," Lukela said from his right side.

"Where are Chin and Kono?" McGarrett asked without moving.

"They're outside and being treated, just as you should be," Lukela told him.

"Good, anyone else injured?" McGarrett asked.

"Carter was on her way back from a coffee run and was caught in the blast outside the office. Donnelly's in bad shape…but he's a tough sonofabitch," Lukela answered. "A couple of others were caught in the explosion, but it seems the damage is mostly to this office."

Steve nodded and watched as a C-collar was placed around Danny's neck and an IV was secured to his left arm. His face was partially obscured by the oxygen mask and a white swatch of gauze covered a wound above his right eye. He still hadn't moved and Steve silently prayed the man was as stubborn as he thought.

"Steve, I think we should get out of the way," Lukela said and saw the dark head nod, but McGarrett didn't go far and reached down to help move the last of the debris out of the way. "Steve, you need to come outside and call Rachel Edwards. She needs to hear about this from you, not from the damned reporters."

"Rachel," Steve said and frowned as he tried to make sense of what the other man was saying.

"Danny's ex-wife…she needs to be told. Grace is probably at school, but she needs to find this out from her mom. Come on…you can use my phone," Lukela said.

"Okay, we're ready to move him," the paramedic said.

"Steve, you can't help Danny right now, but you can help Rachel and Grace," Lukela said and saw McGarrett nod. "Come on."

"Stay with me, Danny," McGarrett ordered and staggered toward the entrance. He lifted the oxygen mask off his face as he exited the building and took a deep breath of air. He took Lukela's phone and searched the faces in the crowd, relaxing slightly when he saw Chin and Kono being treated near an area that was set up for triage.

"Steve, I need to go help make sure the building is clear," Lukela said as McGarrett used his phone to make the call every officer hated to make.

"Thanks," McGarrett said and moved toward Chin and Kono.

"Hello."

"Rachel, it's Steve…"

"Thank God, Steve…I've been watching the news. Where's Danny?"

"He's hurt, Rachel. I don't know how badly, but the paramedics are working on him and they'll be taking him to Queens. I'm sorry I didn't call you before," McGarrett told her.

"Thank you, Steve. I'm going to call the school and make sure no one talks to Grace about this. Will I see you at the hospital?"

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Do you want me to send someone to pick you up?"

"No, Stan's home and he'll drive me. What about you? Are you all right?"

"Think so, but I need to go check on the others."

"Okay, Steve, just be careful. The building looks like it is ready to collapse."

"I will, try not to worry too much, Rachel…you know Danny. He's a stubborn…"

"SOB…be careful Steve."

"I will," McGarrett said and hung up as the phone went dead.

"Commander, let me take a look at you," a paramedic said.

"In a minute," the SEAL said and moved toward Chin and Kono. "You two go to the hospital and get checked out. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Steve, you look like hell and you really should let them check you out," Chin warned.

"I will. As soon as I make sure everything's secure…"

"Commander McGarrett, I'm Tanya Walker can I have a word with you?"

"Get back behind the police line!" McGarrett ordered.

"Do you have any idea what caused the explosion? Rumor has it that it was a bomb intended to take out Five-O."

"Lady, get behind the line or I'll have you arrested and make sure you don't ever make anchor at whatever station you work at!" McGarrett snarled and turned to see the gurney carrying Danny Williams being pushed into the back of an ambulance. The paramedic jumped in while his partner went to the front and with sirens warbling they drove away from the building.

"Excuse me, Commander, but I need to get these two to the hospital, but they refuse to go unless you go too," a young paramedic told him.

"Chin, Kono…go, I'll be there as soon as I can," McGarrett said.

"Then I guess we stay too," Kono said and tried to get off the gurney, wincing when her bruised body protested the move.

"Kono…"

"Sorry, Boss, Kono's right. We all go or we all stay," Chin said and didn't miss the slump of McGarrett's shoulders.

"Come on, Commander, let me take a look at you while we're at it," the paramedic said.

Steve nodded and watched as Chin and Kono got into the ambulance. He frowned and tried to ignore the ringing in his ears and the pounding headache that seemed to suddenly manifest itself as he sat down on an empty gurney. He flicked at the paramedic's hands when the man tried to shine a small light into his eyes.

"Sorry, Commander," the paramedic apologized, but didn't stop what he was doing.

"Look, I'm okay…"

"Sure you are, but why don't we let the doctors make sure of that," the paramedic said and shook his head when McGarrett stood up and moved away from the ambulance.

"Duke, make sure Sgt. Lucas and his team go over everything and tell him the explosive was in liquid form and reacted when mixed together," the SEAL told the older man who'd just exited the building. God, his head felt ready to explode, but he wasn't ready to relinquish command, not when there were so many unanswered questions.

"Commander McGarrett."

Steve turned to find the governor standing behind him. "Governor, you shouldn't be here!"

"And you should be in that ambulance. Go on, Commander, and get checked out with the rest of your team. Don't make me relieve you of command because you're too stubborn to realize you need help."

"There's too much to do…"

"I agree, but there are other men and women who can do the job until the doctors clear you. Now go or I'll have to pull an officer from this detail to escort you to Queens. I'm sure you'd rather not pull these people away from this job. I thought I heard you say that the first few hours are the most important in any crime scene investigation."

"Commander, we need to get moving," the paramedic said.

"Go, Commander, you need to be taken care of," the governor ordered, relieved when McGarrett got into the passenger seat of the ambulance. He knew he should have made it a direct order, but at least the stubborn SEAL would be at the hospital. He hurried toward the police officer who seemed to have taken charge of the situation.

"Governor, you need to stay back. The building isn't structurally sound right now," Lukela told him.

"Tell me what you know so far," Denning ordered.

"Not much. The explosion was centered in McGarrett's office and we have at least one fatality. We don't know his identity, but it's believed to be the deliveryman."

"How did an explosive device get past security?"

"We're not sure, Sir, but according to Commander McGarrett it was some kind of liquid explosive," Lukela told him. "I need to make sure all my people are accounted for, but I'll update you on everything as we get it."

"Thank you," Denning said and watched the man hurry away.

"Governor, we saw Commander McGarrett and his people taken away in the ambulance. Can you tell us how badly injured they are?"

"All I know is that they need medical attention," Denning answered.

"Do you know if Five-O was the target?"

"I won't speculate on that right now. The crime scene investigators and explosive experts need to go over the offices and figure out exactly what happened. Now move back and let these people do the job without having to worry about anyone else's safety," Denning told them and wished he could have been sterner with them, but they were only doing their jobs and he could not fault them for that.

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

Carl Lewis met the first ambulance as it pulled into the ER bay doors. Everyone knew about the explosion and that there were injuries, but they had no idea how many or how bad it was. He recognized the man on the gurney and listened as the Paramedic gave a rundown of what they'd done for the patient since arriving on the scene.

"Let's get him into Trauma One. I want a full blood workup and tell X-ray and CT scan to be ready," Lewis ordered and helped guide the stretcher into the ER as a second ambulance pulled in behind the first. He nodded to Dr. Marcus as he passed him and knew whoever was in the other vehicle was in good hands.

"He's coming round, Doctor," Makana Kehai said. She'd been an ER nurse at Queens for over 10 years and knew what was expected of her as the doctors did their jobs.

"Welcome back," Lewis said and smiled as he looked at the patient. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Danny Williams…you know that, doc."

"Yes, I do, Detective Williams, but I needed to know you still had your faculties," Lewis told the injured man.

"Still have them…in spite of having McGarrett as a partner. What the hell…hap…happened?" Williams managed and forced his eyes open, closing them again as the too bright light stabbed at his skull.

"There was an explosion…"

"Steve? Chin? Kono?" Danny asked, blinking until he could keep his eyes open.

"I don't know yet, but as soon as I look after you I'll find out. Tell me what hurts?"

"Might be easier if I told you what doesn't," Williams answered.

"Probably, how about telling me what hurts most?" Lewis asked as the nurse cut away his clothing.

"Leg and head," Williams told him, and frowned. "Chest too…right side."

"From what the paramedic told me you were trapped under a heavy filing cabinet…I thought they were obsolete, but I guess I was wrong. Now, I'm going to have the nurse give you a shot to help manage the pain and then we're going to find out exactly what we're dealing with," Lewis told him.

Danny saw the nurse ready a syringe and relaxed as she placed it into the IV in his hand. He couldn't remember when it was put there and realized he'd lost some time since the deliveryman had arrived at Five-O headquarters. He tried to remember what had happened, but everything seemed to be muddled. He must have fallen asleep, because he jumped when a young man touched his shoulder and identified himself as an x-ray technician.

"It's okay, Detective, this won't take long," the man told him.

Danny nodded and closed his eyes as the shot he'd been given worked to keep him pain free, but his eyes shot open when he heard a familiar voice outside the room.

"When can I see him? Is he going to be all right?"

"Rachel," Williams whispered, but didn't have the strength to say anything else as darkness descended once more.

**5050505050 **

Rachel knew Stan had taken Grace to get something for them to drink while she spoke with the doctor treating her ex-husband. God, help her, but she'd thought this would be easier now that she was no longer married to a cop, but her heart had skipped a beat when Steve had told her Danny was hurt.

"Mrs. Williams…"

"Edwards. Danny and I are divorced," Rachel told the doctor.

"Mrs. Edwards, you can't go in there right now because X-Ray is with him. Why don't you go to the waiting room and I'll come find you as soon as we know more," Lewis explained.

"Is he going to be all right?"

"He was awake and knew who he was. That's a good sign," Lewis said as two more gurneys were pushed through the doors. He recognized Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua, and briefly wondered where McGarrett was until he saw him walk in under his own steam.

"You'll come get me as soon as you know anything?" Rachel asked.

"I will," Lewis said and walked over to the main desk to speak with the nurses there. "Where did you put Kalakaua and Kelly?"

"Kalakaua is in treatment one and Kelly is in treatment three," the harried woman answered.

"Has Dr. Martinez answered his page?"

"He'll be here in 10 minutes," she answered.

"I'm going to look in on Kalakaua and Kelly, but my main concern is Williams, unless something happens to change that. Let me know as soon as X-ray is through with him."

"Yes, Dr. Lewis," the woman told him and continued to make changes to the boards.

**5050505050 **

Steve had seen Dr. Lewis speaking with Rachel and hurried to join them, but Lewis disappeared inside one of the treatment rooms. He knew he couldn't go in there and made his way to the main desk where several nurses seemed intent on making sense out of the chaos caused by the explosion.

"Can I help you?" one of the harried nurses asked.

"I need to find out how Danny Williams is doing," McGarrett said and rubbed at his left shoulder. It had begun to hurt during the ride in the ambulance and he knew he should get it checked out. Right now it seemed minor compared with the other injured and he'd dealt with concussions and injuries before.

"I'm sorry, but…"

"Steve, come with me," Rachel Edwards said. She'd seen him enter the busy ER and knew he would want to know how her ex-husband was.

"Rachel, how's Danny?"

"Dr. Lewis said he was awake for a few minutes and that's a good sign. Have you been seen by a doctor yet?" Rachel asked, frowning when she saw him wince and rub his shoulder.

"I'm good, Rachel, they're busy right now…"

"Steve, you should let them check you over."

"I will…as soon as I know how Danny, Chin, and Kono are," McGarrett told her.

"I'm going to hold you to that, Steve, but for now you look okay so why don't we go to the waiting room. Dr. Lewis said he would come get me as soon as there was any news on Danny," Rachel said and took him by the right arm.

"Thanks, Rachel, Danny should have held on to you," McGarrett said and saw the smile as they made their way into the waiting room. He moved to a chair by the window and sat down, wincing as it jarred his head and sent daggers through his gut.

"Steve, are you sure you're okay? Maybe I should get Dr. Lewis," Rachel observed.

"Not yet, Rachel, I just need to rest. He closed his eyes against the nauseatingly bright light and fought to keep his churning stomach under control. He knew he probably had a concussion and would need to let the medical personnel take a look at him, but he'd had them before and right now the others seemed to need them more than he did.

"Steve, you should let them check your shoulder," Rachel said.

"My shoulder will hold," McGarrett said, but he wasn't so sure about his head. It was probably due to a concussion, but the nausea was building and he wasn't sure he could control it much longer.

"Mrs. Edwards," Carl Lewis called as he entered the room.

"Can I see Danny?" Rachel asked.

"For a few minutes, I've ordered an abdominal scan and Dr. Martinez is checking the x-rays and may need to put pins in his right ankle. He's also got a couple of fractured ribs on the right side," Lewis answered and watched her leave. He looked at McGarrett and frowned at how pale the man looked as he stood up. "Commander, were you involved in the explosion?"

"I was there," McGarrett answered. "How are Chin and Kono?"

"They're both going for x-rays. Kono took a blow to the head and is showing signs of a concussion…what's wrong with your shoulder?" Lewis asked.

"I may have thrown it out when I hit the wall," McGarrett answered and grabbed the back of the chair as he tried to focus on the doctor.

"Come with me now!" Lewis ordered.

"I…"

"Now, Commander," Lewis' tone was one he'd learned from a man who'd spent his lifetime as a Drill Sargeant and left no room for argument.

"Doc…something's wrong," McGarrett told him as he fought to breathe through the mounting pain.

"I need a gurney in here!" Lewis ordered and managed to get the SEAL sitting on one of the chairs. "Why the hell didn't you say something?"

"Thought it was noth…nothing," McGarrett managed as an orderly and a nurse pushed the gurney closer.

"All right, Commander, let's get you on here and put you in a room. As of this minute you're my patient and I'm going to make damn sure you don't ignore what happens if you're involved in an explosion," Lewis said and helped get the SEAL on the gurney.

"Trauma three is empty," Cathleen Newport told him as she hurried to help guide the gurney toward the room.

Steve tried to turn on his side, but there was no escaping the misery as his stomach churned and his head felt ready to explode. He felt hand on him and was soon lying on his back as Lewis and his team went to work. He had no idea how much time passed, and only caught snatches of conversation before someone stuck a needle in the top of his right hand.

"Commander, listen to me. I'm pretty sure there's damage to your spleen and that's what's causing some of the pain. You're bleeding into your abdominal cavity and we need to get this taken care of ASAP," Lewis said. One nurse was already placing nasal cannulas and another had started the Lactated Ringers.

"Feel like crap, Doc," McGarrett managed.

"I know and I'm going to give you something for pain before we send you for an abdominal scan. Just relax and we'll see if we can't make you more comfortable," Lewis said.

"O…kay," McGarrett said as the medical staff cut away his clothing.

"Cathleen, see if Dr. Chow is available," Lewis told the nurse. He'd examined McGarrett's abdomen and found it slightly warm and taut. That could mean any number of internal injuries and with this particular man it could very well be every damn one of them.

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

Rachel looked at the man who appeared to be sleeping, but she'd been married to him and knew when he was truly asleep. She stood in the doorway and watched his face, relieved that there was no sign of pain. She knew that simply meant he was on pain management and that the drugs would also make him sleepy.

Rachel thought about her life with Danny and remembered his reaction to one of the pain medications he'd been given when he'd broken his jaw. It had made him more than a little loopy and next to impossible to understand. Grace had been little more than two years old and had giggled when her father tried to talk.

"Are you coming in, Rachel?" Williams asked and smiled at the pretty woman.

"I didn't want to wake you."

"I wasn't sleeping."

"I know," she said with a smile as she kissed his forehead.

"You could always tell when I was faking," Williams said and looked around. "Have you seen Steve, Chin, and Kono?"

"Chin and Kono are being treated. Steve was with me in the waiting room when Dr. Lewis came in."

"Figures...he gets to walk away while I get stuck with needles and pins…"

"Oh, Danny," Rachel laughed when she thought about the old poem about needles and pins and knew her ex-husband remembered her mother's warning about when you get married the trouble begins. It was a running joke with her parents because they still loved each other no matter what and had been disappointed when she'd told them about the divorce.

"I always did love your smile," Williams told her and sighed tiredly. "Where's Grace?"

"She's with Stan. I didn't want her here until I knew what was happening," Rachel explained.

"Dr. Martinez said he's going to put pins in my ankle…guess that means I'm sidelined for a while. Steve's going to have to find someone else to try his SEAL tactics with," Williams said.

"I'm sure you'll miss working with him."

"I will, but if you tell him I'll deny it."

"When will he do the surgery?"

"As soon as an OR opens up," Williams said. "Where is Steve? The least he could do is visit…especially since it looks like the bomb was from someone he irritated."

"I need to go call Stan so I'll tell Steve how much you miss him…"

"Ha!" Williams said and closed his eyes. He wasn't angry with McGarrett, truth was, he was glad the man seemed to have escaped injury, but he wasn't about to miss a chance to razz his partner. He had no idea how long he lay there, but he heard the door open and kept his eyes closed. "It's common courtesy to visit a man when you get him blown up…"

"Danny," Rachel said and took his hand.

"What's wrong, Rachel? Is Grace…"

"Grace is fine, but Steve."

"What about him? Don't tell me they kicked him out for causing a disturbance?"

"No," Rachel said and turned to find Carl Lewis joining them.

"Well, Detective, it's official…surgery to put pins in your ankle. Dr. Martinez is scrubbing as we speak. Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," Lewis told them.

"I was just going to tell him about Steve," Rachel said.

"What about Steve?" Williams asked and sat further up in the bed. "Okay, you two…out with it!"

"Commander McGarrett was being his usual stubborn self and ignored an injury that could easily be life threatening. Right now he's undergoing a scan to find out exactly what we're dealing with."

"What do you think is the problem?" Williams asked.

"I'd rather not speculate. As soon as I know more I'll let you know. Right now I want you to concentrate on yourself and let us do what we're trained to do," Lewis told him.

"Doc…"

"Look, Detective, I've got over a dozen people here that were injured in that explosion and I really need to check on them. So, relax, rest, and try to sleep until Dr. Martinez is ready for you. Oh, and if you try to get out of that bed Mrs. Edwards has my permission to knock you on your proverbial behind."

"I will make sure he stays put," Rachel said and smiled at her ex.

"I'll hold you to that," Lewis said and looked at his patient. "Look, Detective, I understand you're worried about Commander McGarrett, but you need to understand that you need to be taken care of too. The ankle is a bad break and once it's healed you'll have to have physiotherapy to regain full use of it. I will let you know what's happening with the rest of your team once I have the results of all tests and x-rays."

"Thanks, Doc," Williams said and watched the man leave. He thought about his conversation a few minutes ago and regretted what he'd said about McGarrett.

"Danny, are you all right?" Rachel asked worriedly.

"Not really."

"You're angry about what you said?"

"Maybe."

"You couldn't have known he was hurt. Steve should have said something."

"I know," Williams told her tiredly. "I just wish he'd stop being so damned macho and admit when he's hurting."

"Danny, there was a time when you did the same thing," Rachel said.

"Damn, I was hoping you'd forgotten that," Williams said.

"I believe you once compared me to an elephant…"

"Your memory…just your memory," Williams said.

"I know, Danny," Rachel told him and sat on the edge of the bed. She reached for his hand and used her other one to move his hair away from his forehead. "You need to let them take care of you, Danny…Grace needs you."

"What about you?" the Jersey native asked softly.

"Just because we're no longer together doesn't mean I don't need you," Rachel vowed and kissed his cheek. "You should sleep."

"I have a feeling I'll be getting plenty of sleep before long," Williams said and gently squeezed her hand. "Why couldn't we work things out, Rachel?"

"I don't know, Danny," she answered honestly and turned as a nurse entered the room.

"Dr. Martinez is ready for you, Detective," the woman said and smiled. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait outside."

"Will you be here when I wake up, Rachel?"

"I'll be here," his ex-wife answered and backed out of the room. God help her, if she was honest with herself, she would admit she still had feelings for Danny Williams, but she did not have the strength to face what he did for a living. Besides, she and Stan were working to make their marriage work, but sometimes she wondered if she should have done something more to save her first marriage.

**5050505050 **

Dr. Felicia Chow looked at the results of the abdominal scan and knew they had to work quickly. Steve McGarrett was bleeding into his abdomen and she quickly wrote up the orders to prep him for emergency surgery. Her team was ready and the OR was also being prepped as she scrubbed for an exploratory surgery that could end with the removal of the patient's spleen.

"Dr. Chow, they're bringing the patient in now," Janine Morrison told her.

"Any change in his vitals?" Chow asked.

"His BP is still dangerously low," the nurse answered.

"Is the team ready?"

"Yes, we are," Morrison answered and smiled at her life partner. They'd been together professionally for nearly 12 years and in a relationship for the past seven years.

"Thanks, Janine," Chow said and followed her into the OR. She walked over to the bed where the anesthesiologist was preparing to put the patient to sleep. "Commander, I'm Dr. Chow, and I'll be performing the procedure. Dr. Yang is going to put you to sleep and I'll see you in the recovery room."

Yang nodded that he was ready to proceed and injected the medication into the IV, watching as McGarrett's eyes closed before nodding that Felicia Chow could proceed.

**5050505050 **

Kono looked up at the sound of footsteps and wasn't surprised to see her cousin enter her room. They'd transferred her from the ER to a room on the third floor for observation after Dr. Lewis had seen her x-rays and test results.

"Hey, Cuz, how are you feeling?"

"Aside from my head feeling like it's ready to explode and my stomach churning I'm good," Kono answered and pointed to the cane in his hand. "What did they say about you?"

"Bruised ribs and half a dozen stitches in my left leg, but nothing serious enough to keep me sidelined. I'm going back to the office, but I wanted to check on you first."

"Better not let Dr. Lewis hear you say that," Kono warned.

"I don't plan to tell him anything," Chin told her.

"Any word on Danny yet?"

"He's in surgery, but the doc says he should be fine. Rachel's in the waiting room with Grace and Stan."

"Where's Steve? I would have thought he'd be there for Danny?"

"That's why I came, Kono. Steve was hurt a lot worse than we thought. They took him for emergency surgery…something about bleeding into his abdominal cavity," Chin told her.

"Why didn't he say something?"

"He probably didn't realize how bad it was until it was too late…"

"What do you mean too late? You said they took him for surgery…is he…"

"He's alive, sorry, Kono…poor choice of words. Look, I'm going to check with Rachel before I head for the office. Call me if there's any word on Steve and Danny or if you need anything," Chin said.

"I will," Kono said and closed her eyes. She listened to her cousin leave and wondered if she should try to make her way to the surgical waiting area, but she wasn't even sure she could move without setting off the explosion that was building to a crescendo. She waited for the pain to ease and drifted toward sleep before she could make good on her thoughts of going to wait with Rachel and Grace.

**5050505050 **

Duke Lukela was a man running on empty, but he'd been in that position before and pushed himself past the point of no return. He knew he'd have to call it quits soon, but right now he wanted to do what he could while everything was still fresh.

There wasn't a whole lot left of the explosive device that caused the damage, but a search of McGarrett's office resulted in finding the bulk of the deliveryman's body. The face was unrecognizable, but they'd managed to get the company name off the t-shirt he wore. A call to the flower shop had given them a name and he'd sent two detectives over to speak with the owner.

"Duke," Richard Lucas called from McGarrett's office.

"I'm here," Lukela answered and maneuvered around the debris. "What do you need?"

"Besides a new building," Lucas said and shook his head. He often used humor when talking to others about his job, not because he was insensitive, but because it was the only way to deal with the job. As an expert in explosives, he'd seen more bodies than most cops, and he needed a mechanism to keep from going crazy.

"You could be right about that. The engineers will be in to take a look, but something tells me this place won't withstand another storm like the one we had last week."

"Probably not," Lucas agreed.

"Did you find anything new?"

"There's not much left and if McGarrett was right about it being liquid explosives, then we probably won't find a whole lot. Is there any word on his people?"

"Danny's in surgery…"

"Duke, are you in here?"

"Chin?" Lukela turned, surprised to see the man standing in the doorway. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm on my way home, but I wanted to see if you found anything new," Chin told him.

"You look like hell…go home," Lukela ordered.

"I will…"

"Chin, trust us…we'll make sure we go over everything with a fine tooth comb and then we'll do it all over again," Lukela vowed and motioned for the injured man to follow him outside. "How are Danny and Kono? Where's Steve?"

"Danny's in surgery. Kono's being kept overnight for observation and Steve…well in true McGarrett fashion, ignored the fact that he was blown up and that he's human. He's in surgery to repair damage to his spleen so I'll probably head back to Queens once I'm done here…"

"You're done…go," Lukela ordered.

"Duke, I'm…"

"Don't make me call the governor, Chin, he said to tell you Five-O is on sick leave until further notice."

"Well, since I'm not sick…"

"Oh, he covered that too and said injured lists mean more down time so you're not to be here…"

"Duke…"

"Calling Governor Denning," Lukela said and held up his hand as he placed the phone to his ear. "Somehow I don't think he'll be very happy that I'm interrupting his dinner meeting."

"Damn, okay, I'm going. Call me as soon as you know anything okay?"

"I will…let me know what's happening with Steve and Danny," Lukela said and watched the injured man leave before turning back to Lucas. "I think Steve handpicked the most stubborn people he could find for his team."

"Sounds like it," Lucas said. "I've bagged the remnants of the vase and hopefully we'll be able to figure out what was used."

"How can you be sure it's the vase and not…well look around you. Couldn't it be from the windows?"

"No, it's different. I'd have to go into a big spiel to explain it, but I'm pretty sure these are from the vase," Lucas told him as the rest of his team continued to search the rubble.

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

Rachel smiled at her daughter and continued to assure her that her father was going to be fine. Danny and Rachel had a wonderful father-daughter relationship and she regretted ever thinking about taking her away from him. He loved his little girl and they deserved to spend time together. Stan would just have to understand that they could not move on a whim, and that she had ties to Danny that went beyond her feelings.

"Mommy, how much longer before we can see Danno?" Grace asked softly as she looked up from the picture she'd been drawing.

"I don't know, Grace, but the nurse said it shouldn't be much longer," Rachel answered and glanced sideways to see her husband folding the financial section of the newspaper. She briefly wondered what she'd ever seen in him, but this was neither the time or place to think about her feelings, or lack thereof.

"Can I watch television?" Grace asked, but stopped when she saw someone enter the waiting room. "Uncle Chin."

"Hey, Grace, how's it going?" Chin asked and leaned on his cane as he hugged her.

"Where's Kono?" Grace asked when he released her.

"She's sleeping because the doctor wants to keep an eye on her," Chin said and sat next to Danny's ex. "How are you, Rachel?"

"I'm not the one who was caught in an explosion, Chin. You look like you belong in bed as well."

"It's not as bad as it looks…"

"Are you tryin to fool me or you?" Rachel asked as Grace went back to work on her drawing.

"Neither, I guess. I'm going home once I find out what's happening with Steve and Danny. Five-O is out of commission until the governor says otherwise."

"Considering you were all injured I can understand why. Do they know what caused the explosion or if it was aimed at anyone in particular?" Stan asked and folded the newspaper again.

"We believe it was centered in Steve's office and the explosion originated from a vase of flowers, but we won't know for sure until the experts go through the rubble," Chin answered.

"So whoever it was targeted McGarrett?" Edwards observed.

"Maybe, but like I said the investigation is still on-going," Chin explained. There was something about the man's attitude that grated on his nerves, but he remained civil for Rachel and Grace's sakes.

"Family of Danny Williams?" a man asked from the open doorway.

"Yes, I'm Rachel Edwards. Danny is my ex-husband. How is he?" Rachel asked and waited for the man to sit down next to her.

"I'm Dr. Martinez and I'm the one looking after your husband…"

"Ex-husband," Stan interrupted; irritation evident in his voice.

"Yes, sorry, ex-husband. Detective Williams is in recovery and doing very well. He should be moved to a room on the surgical floor in half an hour. His vital signs are good and as long as he takes it easy he should make a full recovery," Juan Martinez told her.

"How long before we can see him?" Rachel asked.

"Give them an hour to move him to his room," Martinez told her.

"Do you know how Steve McGarrett is doing?" Chin asked hopefully.

"No, I'm sorry. You could check with the main desk."

"I will…thanks, Doc," Chin said and held his arm against his injured ribs as the man left them alone.

"Rachel, why don't Grace and I go grab some coffee and meet you in Danny's room once he's settled there," Stan offered.

"I want to stay with Mommy," Grace said and looked at her mother hopefully.

"You go ahead, Stan, Grace can stay with me," Rachel told him.

"All right," Edwards said and turned to Kelly. "Would you like something brought back?"

"Coffee," Kelly answered and leaned back in his chair. God, he was beginning to feel exactly what Lewis had told him he would and rubbed at the top of his leg.

"Chin, maybe you should go home."

"I will, Rachel, after I find out about Steve," Kelly assured her and closed his eyes. He could hear Rachel and Grace talking softly and several pages being made, but he tuned them out as sleep beckoned to him. He blinked rapidly when someone touched his arm and looked up to see Rachel Edwards.

"Sorry, Chin, I just saw Dr. Lewis and he said Dr. Morrison is on her way to speak to you," Rachel told him and watched as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Did he say anything about Steve?" Chin asked.

"Just that he was being moved to recovery," Rachel answered.

"That's good news," Kelly told her.

"Chin, Grace and I are going to see Danny. The nurse just told us he was moved into a room in the surgical section of this floor."

"Okay, I'll be there as soon as I find out about Steve," Kelly said and hugged her before sitting back down and stretching out his injured leg.

"Lieutenant Kelly?"

"That's me," Chin told the newcomer.

"I'm Janine Morrison. My team worked on Commander McGarrett and I must say he's as stubborn as we were lead to believe."

"And you only saw him while he was sleeping," Chin said with a grin.

"Yes, Carl did say he's even worse when he's awake and aware. Perhaps I should give him something to help him sleep until he's on the mend."

"No, believe me you wouldn't want to do that," chin observed.

"No, I wouldn't and believe me that's not going to happen," Morrison said.

"Good, how is he, Doc?"

"Well, the damage to his spleen was extensive and we couldn't save it. That's what was causing the bleeding into his abdomen, but he should make a complete recovery if he does as he's supposed to," the surgeon explained. "Now, I believe they are going to move him in with Detective Williams so you'll be able to see him there in about an hour."

"Thanks, Doc," Chin said and shook hands with the woman before she left. He stood up, leaned on his cane and made his way toward the desk. He enquired about the room Williams was in and given directions by the nurse seated there. He reached the room at the same time as Stan returned carrying a tray of coffee and a box of malasadas.

"Any word on McGarrett?" Edwards asked as he pushed the door open and made his way toward the bed.

"He's in recovery," Chin answered and smiled at Rachel. "Is he still sleeping?"

"Yes…"

"No," Williams grumbled and opened his eyes. He frowned, and shifted on the bed until he looked at his daughter. "Hey, Monkey."

Grace hugged her father and frowned when she looked into his eyes. "I was scared."

"I know you were, but I'm okay," Williams said sleepily and looked at his ex-wife. "I really am okay."

"I know you are," Rachel said as Stan handed her a cup of black tea. She listened as Chin relayed what Morrison had told him about McGarrett and wasn't surprised when her ex fell asleep half way through the explanation.

"Rachel, I need to update Kono," Chin told her.

"Okay, I think it's time we took Grace home," Rachel observed when her daughter yawned tiredly.

"I want to stay…"

"I know you do, Grace, but right now your father is sleeping. Wouldn't you rather be here when he's awake?" Rachel asked.

"I guess so," the child told her and gently kissed her father. "I'll be back, Danno."

**5050505050 **

Steve moaned softly when someone touched his shoulder and called his name. He had no idea where he was, but for some reason he felt totally numb as he fought to open his eyes.

"Come on, Commander, I know you can hear me, so look at me and we'll get you a more comfortable bed."

McGarrett opened his eyes and looked into the concerned hazel orbs of the recovery room nurse who'd checked on him twice already. He mumbled something and nodded when she asked if he knew where he was. "Queens," he answered.

"That's right. How's the pain right now?"

"It's okay," McGarrett answered.

"Well, we're going to move you to your room in a couple of minutes, but if you need something for pain before then just let me know," the nurse told him.

"My team…Danny…are they all right?"

"I believe you're being moved in with Detective Williams," the woman answered.

"Danny's going to love that," McGarrett mumbled and closed his eyes one more. He needed to find out what was happening with Chin and Kono, but could not find the energy to voice the questions. He felt the bed moving, and hoped he could find the answers to his unspoken questions when they put him in with Williams.

"Excuse me, Lieutenant Kelly, but you'll have to move back so we can get Commander McGarrett in bed," the nurse said as an orderly helped her maneuver the bed into the room.

Steve opened his eyes as the gurney was pushed up to the bed and the nurse told him to leave everything to them. They shifted him and she covered him to the waist before taking his vitals.

"Commander, Dr. Morrison left orders for you to be placed on a morphine infusion pump and it's already in place. Now you can't overdose on it, so please use it when you need it," the nurse ordered and looked at the man in the second bed. Danny Williams was also on an infusion pump and she checked the rate before taking his vitals and leaving the room.

"Chin, you okay?" McGarrett asked.

"A couple of bruises, but I'm okay," Kelly answered. "Kono's on the second floor, but she should be released in the morning."

"She's okay?" McGarrett asked tiredly.

"Yes, she is," Chin answered and leaded heavily on his cane as weariness sank in.

"Any news from the bomb techs?" McGarrett asked.

"Not much. Duke wouldn't answer my questions because the Governor has put Five-O on downtime until the doctors clear us," Chin explained.

"Tell them….tell them…." McGarrett rubbed at his temples and tried to clear his mind, but he couldn't quite grasp what he was trying to say.

"Even in here you can't relax," Williams griped tiredly.

"Something…I know who sent….can't rem….remember," the SEAL said and reached for the elusive memory, but it remained just out of reach as darkness reached out for him.

"Go home, Chin," Williams ordered and frowned when he saw someone standing outside the door. "Who's that?"

"Hold on," Chin said and made his way to the door. He recognized the officer as Bill Hale and realized Denning must have ordered a guard on the door. "What's going on, Bill?"

"Duke said the governor ordered a watch on McGarrett. They think he was the target because the bomb was sent directly to him," Hale explained and glanced in the room. "How are they?"

"They're beat up some, but they'll be okay," Chin answered and knew Williams was listening to their conversation. "Maybe I should stick around."

"And do what? In case you hadn't noticed you're pretty beat up yourself. Go home and get some rest before someone decides to stick a needle in your backside," Hale warned.

"You might have a point there," Chin said, feeling every bruise on his battered body. "Danny, I'll be back in the morning."

"I'll be here," Williams said and closed his eyes. He heard Chin leave and the door close behind him, but he didn't sleep. He thought about the explosion and everything that happened before it. The delivery of the flowers for Steve was the start of this and it meant he was a target. That meant they needed to find out who was behind it and stop them before they tried again.

Danny thought about the times when he'd investigated bombings in New Jersey and how much he hated this type of crime. It was intended to maim and kill and more often than not, the target wasn't the only casualty. Steve may have been the intended victim, but whoever had done this had made it a large scale attack that tore through Five-O headquarters. God, his head hurt just thinking about it and no matter how hard he tried to concentrate, it only made matters worse.

Williams heard the soft click of the pump delivering the pain medication into his body and sighed tiredly. He turned and looked at McGarrett. What was it about him that made him aggravating and irritating, yet also made him a man he admired and looked up to. Not that he'd ever tell Steve that, but there was no denying it.

Whoever had sent the flowers was behind this, and he hoped that Steve had some idea who it was. If not, there was no way of knowing when the person would strike again. Danny tried to make sense of everything, but gave up when his mind and body clashed with the meds he was given. He knew there was no point in fighting it anymore and closed his eyes tiredly.

**TBC**


	6. Chapter 6

Duke looked at the reports stacked on his desk in the temporary office he'd been assigned. There were several that needed his immediate attention and those were the ones he took care of first. Finally he was left with a single file, one he knew inside and out and had studied most of the morning.

The preliminary reports on the explosive device that destroyed Five-O headquarters gave them very few answers and a lot more questions. Whoever had done this had managed to use some items that were as yet unknown and combined them with things that were household products used by any number of people to clean their homes.

Lukela's first call, even before coming to the office, had been to the hospital to get an update on the injured officers and Five-O. Kono Kalakaua would be released before noon, while McGarrett and Williams would spend the next few days in the same room. God, help the nursing staff was all he could think of when he hung up the phone.

Duke opened the report again and tried to come up with someone who matched the MO that should fit the profile they had. Whoever it was knew a lot about chemicals and their reactions and there were only a few he could think of that might know who could have done this. Two were in State prisons on the mainland, but there was a man, a recluse actually, who lived in Honolulu.

Mana Kāne was only thirty eight years old, but he'd been injured in an explosion that took both his legs. It was unclear whether it was a device he'd created, or one he'd stumbled on and tried to disarm. According to his lawyer, it was the latter and there wasn't enough evidence to lay charges against him. Since the 'accident' he'd lived alone, but Duke was one of the few men he would talk to.

Duke reached for the phone and touched the numbers that he knew by heart. He leaned back in his chair and waited for his call to be answered. It wasn't picked up until the fifth ring and he chuckled softly at the man's gruff voice.

"You better have a damn good reason for getting an invalid out of his damn bed at this ungodly hour."

"Ungodly hour, Mana…it's damn near eleven…"

"Morning or night?"

"Morning," Lukela asked.

"Like I said ungodly hour. What the hell do you want, Duke?"

"I need your help….did you hear about the explosion at the station yesterday?"

"Heard tell it was aimed at Five-O."

"Yes, it was. Have you heard anything about someone targeting the station?"

"No, but there are rumors that someone wants to take out McGarrett. It's not something I can confirm…just rumors you know."

"I hear you…any chance you'd take a look at a preliminary report…maybe give me a heads up if the MO rings any bells?"

"I might could do that. You want to bring it out here…a bottle of that sweet bubbly stuff you drink might help jog my memory."

"I'll pick one up along the way. I should be there in about an hour."

"Pick up a pizza while you're at it and don't go putting any of them little fishies on it…damn things give me gas."

"I'll try to remember that," Lukela told him and smiled when the line went dead. The man was as grouchy as he sounded; yet, Duke knew he would help him out if he could.

**5050505050 **

McGarrett struggled to wake up from the nightmarish images of flying glass and debris, but there was one image that would not let go. The young man's face, his sunken lifeless eyes seemed to plead with him just before all hell exploded.

Steve opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling, swallowing several times as the images would not let him go. Who was the young man? Did he have a family who now mourned his death? Was there someone waiting for him at home? God, whoever was behind this was going to pay for it, he'd see to that no matter what it took.

McGarrett turned slightly on his side, and was quickly reminded of the reason he was in the hospital. He couldn't quite remember what was done, but he had some memory of Lewis being angry at him for something or another. There were flashes of memory that seemed to go along with the explosion, but they remained just out of his reach.

Steve knew he should try to sleep, but he had a more pressing need, one that spoke of the volume of intravenous fluids he'd been given. He sat up, slid his legs over the edge and gritted his teeth as pain shot through his abdomen. He stayed where he was, waiting for the pain to ease and looked at the man in the other bed when he snorted.

"You really do enjoy pain. Don't you, Steven?" Williams said.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," McGarrett snapped and finally stood on his own two feet. "See, nothing to it."

"Oh, Really, let's see how far you get before you fall on your ass," the Jersey native observed.

McGarrett reached for the IV pole and ignored the other man as he made his way toward the bathroom. He felt weak and sick to his stomach, but he was too damn stubborn to let it show. He made it to the door and stepped inside, turning a thin smile in Williams Direction as he closed the door.

Steve looked at his reflection in the mirror and wasn't surprised to see the dark smudges beneath his eyes. He took care of his personal business before opening the door and making his way back to his bed. Instead of sitting there, he moved to the chair beside the window and sat down with his arm held tight against his abdomen.

"Feel better?"

"Much…thanks for caring," McGarrett told him.

"As if. I just don't like the idea of seeing a grown man fall on his ass," Williams said and sat up.

"I told Chin you two would be awake and sniping at each other," Kono said from the open door.

"Hey, Kono, you look better than you did the last time I saw you," McGarrett told her as Chin entered carrying a tray of coffee.

"Thanks, Boss, wish I could say the same about you, but the last time I saw you…well, you were pretending you were…"

"I wasn't pretending, Kono, I really didn't know," McGarrett observed as Williams shook his head. "I didn't, Danny. I thought I had a few bruises."

"Says the man who can duct tape a splint to a shattered arm," Williams snapped.

"Danny, it's stuff we learn as a SEAL…"

"I know, but they should remind you that you're also human and that you bleed and feel pain," Williams reminded him.

"I do feel pain, Danny, I just choose not to acknowledge it," McGarrett said in true fashion as he took the coffee from Chin's hand. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Chin said as Kono sat on McGarrett's bed. "We won't stay long. I need to get Kono home and make sure she has everything she needs before I check in with Duke."

"I thought Five-O was on downtime?" Williams asked and shifted his leg so it rested on the pillow.

"It is, but I figured I'm about the only one who can get an update," Chin answered.

"I can do it," Kono said.

"Really…should I remind you of what you told me when the nurse unhooked you from the IV?"

"No, I know what I said," Kono snapped irritated at the reminder of her weakness.

"Good, then I do the legwork," Chin said.

"Wasn't your leg injured?" McGarrett asked.

"A couple of stitches," Chin answered. "Nothing McGarrett couldn't handle."

"Thank God you're not McGarrett. One Super-SEAL is enough," Williams snapped.

"Amen to that," Chin agreed.

"Is there anything new on the explosives?" McGarrett asked in an effort to divert attention from himself.

"I won't know until I check in with Duke. They've been moved to temporary offices until they decide what to do with headquarters," Chin answered.

"They'll probably have to tear it down and start fresh. There's probably structural damage and that means safety issues," McGarrett told them.

"I'll know more when I come back this evening," Chin told them. "On that note I think it's time I get Kono home."

"I'm…"

"Go, Kono, Steve and I aren't going anywhere," Williams said and knew she was feeling lousy by the look she gave him.

"I'll be back with Chin…"

"No, you won't, Cuz," Kelly told her. "Auntie Emalina and Uncle Atoni are going to stay with you for a few days"

"But…"

"No, buts, they're already waiting for you," Chin said and reached for his cane. He nodded to the two men before motioning Kono out the door and limping along behind her.

Danny watched McGarrett's face as he rubbed at his temples and knew he was thinking about something. Whatever it was, it seemed to stay just out of reach and Danny knew how frustrating that could be. He waited several minutes before asking. "What do you remember about the flowers?"

"I remember we were talking about it being Valentine's Day," McGarrett said and sighed tiredly. "I…they were beautiful, but there was…there was something out of place. I remember answering…answering the phone…then everything went to hell pretty fast."

"Who was on the phone?" Williams asked.

"I don't know…a woman I think."

"Did she say anything?"

"I don't know…I think she…she asked me a question," McGarrett answered and tried to make sense of his jumbled thoughts. His head felt ready to explode and he looked longingly at his bed, yet he knew it was important that he remember what it was about the phone call.

"Steve, you can't force it. Get back in bed and maybe it'll come back to you," Williams said as their nurse came into the room.

"Commander, why are you out of bed?" Juanita Murphy asked.

"I needed to stretch my legs," McGarrett answered, frustrated by the interruption.

"Well, you've stretched them long enough. I need to set up some IV antibiotics for both you and Detective Williams and you really should be resting," the woman lightly scolded and straightened out the blankets on his bed before walking to the chair and helping him stand. "Now, let's get you back to bed so I can take care of you and Detective Williams. You really should try to be like him and let us do our jobs without having to worry about our patients so much."

"Yeah, Steve, be more like me," Williams smiled.

"Kiss-ass," McGarrett grumbled as she helped him back to bed.

"Did you say something, Commander?" the nurse asked.

"Not really," McGarrett lied as he sat down and looked at the man in the other bed.

"You go ahead and get comfortable and I'll be right back with both your medications," Murphy told them and hurried out of the room.

"Steve, don't try to force it…you'll remember, just give it time," repeated what he'd already told him.

"I know, Danny," McGarrett said and lay back on the bed. He closed his eyes and tried to remember what it was the woman had said, but his mind turned to the flowers in the vase. There was something about them, something that should have been a warning in itself, but combined with the woman's voice it screamed danger.

Danny watched his partner and heard the click that told him the pump had kicked in and delivered the dose of medication. He'd felt his own do the same a couple of minutes ago, and knew they would both be sleeping before long. He heard the nurse come in and watched as she placed the antibiotics on Steve's IV pole before running it through the line and plugging the equipment back into the outlet.

"Now, Commander, Dr. Lewis said to tell you he doesn't want you moving around too much today. He said you can call on your SEAL training tomorrow, but for today you're just like everyone else and need to rest," the woman said and moved to the other bed. "How do you feel, Detective?"

"I'm okay, thank you, Juanita," Williams answered.

"Good, that means the medication is working. Now, I need to take a look at your toes and make sure they're still a nice healthy color. I hope you're not ticklish."

"A little," the Jersey native told her and turned to see a bleary eyed McGarrett watching him and tried to ignore the smile on the man's face.

"Your ten little piggies are just fine, Detective," the nurse told him and repositioned his leg before covering it with the thin blanket once more. "Dr. Martinez said to tell you he'll come by to see you tomorrow and to let us know if you feel any numbness or tingling in your leg."

"I will," Williams said and again looked at McGarrett, surprised to see the man's eyes were closed and he seemed to be sleeping.

"If you need anything just press the button," the nurse told him.

"Thank you," Williams said and watched as she finished setting up his own antibiotics before leaving the room. He closed his eyes and drifted toward sleep, hoping that Rachel would bring Grace to see him later in the day. She'd called to tell him she was letting their daughter sleep late, but she would bring her once Stan brought the car back. Sometimes he wondered what life would have been like if he'd just given Rachel what she wanted and quit his job, but he knew he could not give up trying to make the world a safer place for Grace.

**TBC**


	7. Chapter 7

Steve awoke to what sounded like flies buzzing, amplified a thousand times. He grumbled softly, and reached for the phone even as he opened his eyes and noticed that Danny was still sleeping. "McGarrett."

"Hello, Steven, I see you managed to survive again. You're good at that aren't you? How many people have died while you survive?"

"Who is this?" the SEAL asked and tried to clear the last vestiges of drug induced sleep from his mind.

"You wound me, Steven, but then again I guess it's easy to forget the people you hurt. Watch your back, Steven…then again; maybe I should simply send flowers to those you care about. Goodbye, Steven, I will see you soon, but I'm not sure you would recognize me."

The call ended as abruptly as it began and Steve dropped the phone back on the bed as he fought to make sense of his caller's words. Whoever it was had something against him, but that didn't narrow down the field. He'd made a lot of enemies in his life, and even inherited some from his father and mother.

There was something familiar in her voice, but it was her reference to the flowers that made him think. He closed his eyes and thought about the arrangement and what it was that set his instincts on fire. The vase contained carnations and baby's breath and lilies, but it was the single black rose that made him warn the others to get out.

A black rose was a unique calling card, one that he'd seen before, but he'd never found out who'd sent it. He'd been in Iran at the time, working to find a terrorist who made good on his threat to kill SEALs and other black ops members. He tried to clear his mind and concentrate on the woman's voice, but it was slightly distorted and heavily accented. The latter part was done on purpose and he wondered if she was simply using someone else's calling card with the black rose.

Steve knew he had to figure out who she was and why she was targeting him? It was easy to say she had a vendetta, much harder to figure out who and why. If he could come up with an answer to either of those, he would probably know who the woman was. He raised the head of his bed and glanced at the pump that delivered the IV, antibiotics and morphine and cursed the heavy drug that kept him from thinking clearly. The door opened and he looked at Carl Lewis and the nurse entering the room.

"Commander, you really should be sleeping," Lewis said.

"I was," McGarrett told him.

"Are you in pain?" the doctor asked.

"No, and I'd like to get rid of the morphine," the SEAL said.

"Not today, Commander. Dr. Morrison and I are in agreement about this and want you to stay on that until tomorrow. You're only one day post-op and if we take you off that too early you'll be in pain and miserable and that means you won't be getting the sleep you need," Lewis observed.

"Come on, Doc, it makes me dizzy and…"

"Sleepy, just what the doctor ordered," Juanita Murphy said and checked the settings on the pump.

"Look, Doc, someone blew up Five-O headquarters to get to me and I need to figure out who she is. I can't do that while my head feels like it's full of cotton," McGarrett groused.

"There's an officer outside the door and he hasn't left his post. Don't worry so much about who it was for now. Let your fellow officers do their jobs," Lewis told him.

"What if…"

"Forget it, Commander…we don't play what if games here," Lewis said. "Now, Dr. Morrison had a look at your test results this morning and she's very pleased with them. I told her you were just stubborn enough to ask to be released today and she said to tell you to dream on because that's the only way it will happen."

"I didn't ask…"

"Not yet, but I'm sure you were thinking about it," Lewis said. "Now, I need to check the drain in your abdomen…ah, you didn't even know you had one did you?"

"No," McGarrett said and grimaced when the man's cold hands touched his bare skin. "Did you stick your hands in a freezer?"

"I did…just for you," Lewis said and was pleased that there was little discharge in the drain. "This looks good and we should be able to remove it tomorrow."

"And the morphine pump?"

"Maybe…"

"And sign my discharge papers…"

"Not likely," Lewis said as the nurse replaced the bandage. "Juanita, I have a meeting with the board in ten minutes, so make sure the commander stays put."

"I will, Doctor," Murphy vowed and straightened out the blankets as she glanced at the man in the other bed. "Why don't you get some rest like Detective Williams?"

"I'm not sleepy," McGarrett answered and sighed heavily as she moved to check his sleeping partner. He needed to move, needed to find out who this woman was and find her before she tried to make good on her threats. He heard the nurse leave and knew there was no way he was going to sleep, not with the woman's threat hanging over his head.

**5050505050 **

Duke watched the man seated across the table form him and wondered whether he'd been the one to set the explosives that cost him his legs. It was something only Mana Kāne could answer, and the man would never reveal the truth of the matter. It wasn't something he would pursue, because Mana had often helped the police in cases where new or unknown explosives were involved.

Duke watched as Kāne reached for the partially eaten piece of pizza and took a big bite, chewing ferociously as if he was afraid it would be taken away. The man had been studying the pictures of McGarrett's destroyed office and reading the information they had so far. It wasn't much to go on, but if anyone could identify a pattern, it was Mana.

"See this stuff right here?" Kāne asked and pointed to something near the shattered glass window.

"We wondered what that was," Lukela observed and listened as the other man went off on a tangent, explaining what he thought it was and how many people he knew used the stuff.

"It's unstable…a lot like Nitro and maybe 10 times as volatile. I saw it used a couple of times back when I had my legs," Kāne told him and reached for the spread sheet.

"Do you know who would use it?"

"I know a couple of people who are crazy enough to use this shit. Ain't sure they're still using it. Explosive experts like me don't have a long shelf life," the man said and took another bite of pizza.

"You'll be around long after most of us are gone," Lukela told the man.

"Maybe, but I need to check with a couple of my sources. Like I said this stuff is volatile and only a few people I know are crazy enough to handle it. I'll see if any of 'em is close enough to talk to and get back to you. Can I keep this stuff?"

"Well, I'm supposed to keep this under wraps, but if you think you can help ID the person or people who did this I can turn a blind eye for a little while," Lukela told him. "What are your instincts telling you, Mana?"

"That whoever did this wanted McGarrett dead and will probably strike again. It looks like they don't give a damn who they hurt in the process, so I'd say stay away from McGarrett until you catch this person," Kāne advised.

"I can't do that, Mana. Steve's more than a colleague. He's a friend and a damn good cop," Lukela observed.

"I thought he was a SEAL?"

"He was, but the governor…"

"Jamison, not Denning?"

"Yes, Jamison asked him to run Five-O and gave his team full immunity and means before she died."

"I heard that…she was like a lot of politicians…not saying all of 'em, but a lot," Kāne offered.

"She thought she could rein McGarrett in because she gave him something she thought he wanted. Five-O is good for the city …good for the State and that's why Denning had them reinstated," Lukela told him as he stood up to leave. "Call me as soon as you hear anything."

"I will…might take a couple of days," Kāne told him and maneuvered his wheelchair away from the table. He followed Lukela to the door and waited until the man opened it. "Thanks for the pizza, Duke."

"You're welcome," Lukela said.

"Do me a favor…watch yourself out there."

"I will, thanks, My Friend," the cop said and made his way to his vehicle. He hoped Mana could help them find out who was behind the explosion, because otherwise they could be facing more problems.

**5050505050 **

Chin limped along the hallway toward Williams and McGarrett's room, leaning on the cane he was using. His body ached, and his leg throbbed, but he knew he had to keep moving or it would stiffen up and be that much harder to use. He'd called Duke and been told that he couldn't share anything with him unless it went through the governor.

Chin was frustrated, but he knew it had to be even worse for Steve and Danny, although the latter had a different way of showing how he felt. Where Steve would be in your face, Danny would be more laid back. Both ways got results, and Chin had used them both during his career as a cop.

Chin heard voices from inside the room and knocked before he entered and found both men talking. He knew what they were discussing and wished he had answers for the questions he knew they had.

"Chin, did you talk to Duke?" McGarrett asked.

"I did, but right now he's playing it by the book because governor Denning told him we're out of commission," Chin answered.

"I need to get out of here before she makes another move," the SEAL told them.

"She?" Chin asked.

"Steve was just telling me about a phone call he had although I'm more inclined to say he was dreaming," Williams offered.

"I wasn't dreaming, Danny, she called…I spoke to her."

"What did she have to say?" Chin asked.

"She asked if I remembered her and said something about me always getting people hurt," McGarrett said.

"Sounds like she took a page out of Danny's book," Chin said. "What else did she say?"

"She said she'd see me soon," McGarrett answered and frowned. "She also threatened the people around me. Not by name, but maybe you guys should stay away from me."

"We all know that's not going to happen, Steven," Williams said.

"This is personal, Danny…"

"Damn right it's personal!" the Jersey native snapped. "She made it personal with all of Five-O…hell, with the whole damn police force when she took out headquarters. Do we even know how many injured or de…dead?"

"Two dead including the kid who made the delivery and more than a dozen injured when you count the four of us," Chin answered.

"How much more personal can she make it…don't answer that. I know you'll have some snappy answer and right now I'm not in the mood to hear it, so let's just talk about this woman. Do you have any idea why she's singled you out?"

"No clue," McGarrett answered. "I wish I did, Danny, but all she said was that I liked to get other people hurt or killed."

"We know that's not true. You do everything you can to keep people from getting hurt," Chin told him.

"Well…" Williams started and refrained from finishing what he was going to say when he noticed the look on McGarrett's face. "Chin's right…and now we know someone's got it in for you then we'll be ready for them."

"Danny, in case you haven't noticed you only got one leg, Kono has a concussion, and Chin's not exactly on two good legs," McGarrett observed.

"Not to mention you've had surgery to remove your spleen. Face it…none of us is in any shape to go after this woman," Chin said.

"Well said, Lieutenant Kelly," Sam Denning said from the open doorway. "Now, I know you've been nosing around Five-O headquarters and figured I would make this an official order. As of right now you are all out of commission and Commander McGarrett is under police protection. We know the flowers were sent directly to you because the flower shop was able to show Sargeant Miller the original order. There was no return receipt and it was paid for with one of those preloaded credit cards."

"Governor, we don't need…"

"Not another word, Commander. This is one time when Five-O needs to let the rest of the police force do their jobs. I've already made this a direct order and since you're already on sick leave you really don't have a leg to stand on…"

"Ha ha," Williams said with a groan.

"Sorry, Detective, that wasn't directed at you, but it does fit both you and Lieutenant Kelly," Denning observed. "Look, I know you're all anxious to find out who did this, but this is one time when you're all considered liabilities. You're all injured…some more than others, but there are other cops here and they're good at their job. Lieutenant Lukela is spearheading the investigation with help from Detective Johnson. You know them both, Commander, and I know you respect Lukela and the way he goes after anyone who perpetrates a crime. Give them a chance to do what you're all good at."

"I don't trust Johnson," McGarrett observed.

"I know you've had more than one run in with him before, but he knows what he's doing and kind of reminds me of you," Denning told him.

"No, Governor, you're wrong. The only thing Steve and Johnson have in common is that they both carry a badge and a gun. Cal Johnsons would sell out his wife and kids if he thought it would get him ahead," Chin said of the man he'd known since before he'd been charged with stealing the money from the locker. He never liked the man, and had to watch his back after he'd been booted off the force because Johnson had threatened to keep after him until he made sure he was in prison.

"I know you and Johnson don't always see eye to eye, Lieutenant Kelly, but you have to realize he was doing his job just like you. Now, that being said I want to make sure you all understand that Five-O is out of commission until your doctors give the all clear. I won't have you running around when you're a liability to those who are actively investigating this case," Denning warned.

"I'm…"

"Not in any position to argue with me, Commander, so clearly it is wasted energy on your part. Energy that could be put to use in your recovery, so please stop arguing and we'll all get along much better. By the time you are released we should have a safe house for you…"

"And if I refuse?"

"I could make it an order and site medical issues as the reason," Denning told him.

"What about Danny's family and Chin and Kono?"

"I don't think they were the intended target and neither do you, Commander. The explosion was caused by some kind of liquid explosive and the catalyst was in a vase of flowers delivered directly to you. That tells us you were the intended victim in this. If your doctor would release you today I'd make sure you were sequestered immediately," Denning said and hoped he was getting through to the injured SEAL. "Think of your friends, Commander, their lives could be in danger if we don't take this threat seriously."

"I am taking the threats seriously. She said she would send flowers to the people I care about…"

"And you didn't recognize her voice?" Denning asked.

"No, she was using some kind of distortion device, but there's something about the flowers. A calling card…a single black rose," McGarrett said tiredly.

"Do you remember anything else?" Williams asked.

"No, but there's something about it…I don't think it was a woman's calling card," McGarrett said and wished he could think clearly. He knew there was something he was forgetting, something important, but there wasn't a damn thing he could do because of the drugs that were making him dopey.

"Well, if you think of anything tell Lukela or Johnson. They've also set up a trace on any calls that come into this room and hopefully we'll be able to find her before she does anything else."

"She's too smart to stay on the line long enough for a trace," McGarrett told him.

"Maybe, but it's best to have it ready just in case. For now there's nothing you can do about it so sleep and do what the doctors tell you." Denning ordered and turned to leave. "That goes for you too, Detective, and Lieutenant Kelly, you should be home resting."

"Yes, Sir," Kelly said and moved to the chair beside the window as the man left. He pulled a second chair closer and elevated his injured leg as he silently vowed to watch over his injured friends.

**TBC**


	8. Chapter 8

Steve could hear muffled voices, but he really didn't feel like talking until he heard one that always brought a smile to his face. He sat up a little and turned to see Grace watching him closely. "Hi, Grace."

"Hi, Uncle Steve, Danno said you were sleeping…I told him you were awake. Does it hurt?" the young girl asked with a frown.

"A little," McGarrett answered and smiled at Rachel when she joined her daughter. "Hello, Rachel."

"Hello, Steve, how do you feel?"

"Not as bad as I look," the SEAL answered and sat up a little more as Williams snorted.

"Danny said they are going to put you in a safe house until they catch whoever did this," Rachel observed.

"I know…she was after me…"

"The explosion was a bit of an over kill," Williams added and shifted his injured leg to ease the throbbing. "Grace brought us some malasadas."

"She did…you know there's only one thing better than malasadas," McGarrett said conspiratorially. "Pizza with…"

"Pineapple," Grace said and smiled when her father groaned. It was a running joke whenever they were together and she loved that she could tease her father about something like this.

"Steve, you're a bad influence on my daughter."

"Oh, I don't know, Danny…I tend to agree with Steve and Grace when it comes to pineapple on pizza."

"Good Lord, I really am in pineapple hell," Williams said and smiled at his daughter as she approached his bed.

"Don't worry, Danno, I'll pick off the pineapple for you."

"That's my girl…thank you, Monkey." Williams looked up as the phone beside McGarrett's bed began to ring and nodded that he should answer it.

"McGarrett."

"Hello, Steven, are you enjoying your visit with the Williams family? Oh, don't worry; unlike you I won't hurt them unless you make me. You're not going to make me are you, Steven?"

"What do you want?"

"You dead of course, but not until you pay for what you've done…I will see you soon, Steven, but if you hide, then I'll have to rethink whether I'm going to hurt the people you care about. Goodbye for now, Steven."

McGarrett knew there was no chance of tracing the call and dropped the phone to his chest. He could hear Grace and Rachel talking, and felt Danny watching him closely. He found the energy to move and hung up the phone before nodding at Williams.

"Danny, we have to meet Stan at the harbor, but if you need anything just call me," Rachel said.

"I will…thanks for coming to visit, Rachel," Williams said and smiled at his daughter. "Thank you for the malasadas, Monkey. I'll share them with Steve."

"Okay, Danno, I love you."

"Danno loves you too, Monkey," Williams said and hugged her. He smiled as she went to his partner's bed and hugged her before leaving the room with her mother. "I take it that was her?"

"It was," McGarrett said.

"What did she have to say this time?"

"She told me if I tried to hide from her then she'd go after the people I care about. I'll call Denning and tell him to forget about the safe house."

"Steve…"

"Danny, I'm not putting any of you in danger because someone is looking for revenge."

"You don't even know who or why, Steve. A safe house…"

"Isn't going to help…she knew Rachel and Grace were here."

"What? How the hell could she know that?"

"I don't know, but she did and that means she'll make good on her threats. I won't hide and let her get to you…any of you," McGarrett vowed.

"Then tell me what we're going to do."

"Danny, you've only got one leg…"

"And you don't have a spleen any more. Does that mean you're going to stop doing what you do best? I don't think so and no matter what the governor said I knew damn well you weren't going to hide out. Now quit trying to come up with a new face for me to name and let's talk about what this woman wants and why?"

"She wants revenge for something she thinks I did, but until I find out who and why there's no way to trace her," McGarrett reluctantly answered.

"You really don't recognise her voice?"

"It's distorted, but I've been thinking about the flowers…the black rose. There was someone who used to send those as a signature before he killed his target."

"Oh, God, another assassin," Williams said and shook his head. "Do you know the man's name?"

"It wasn't a man. It was a woman."

"The same one that's been calling you?"

"No, that's not possible."

"Why?"

"She's dead."

"How do you know?"

"Because I killed her. I made sure of it, Danny. The woman was an assassin, but she was more than that. She sent a vase of flowers to her intended victim and killed everyone that person cared about before she killed him. Her targets were men, but she didn't give a damn if she killed children or maimed them. She preferred her victims to have young children just so she could make him suffer with their deaths. It didn't matter whether they were innocent or guilty as long as she was paid she did the job."

"Until she met you?" Williams asked, and saw his friend nod slightly. "What happened?"

"She was sent to kill a senator from California who was all set to change the course of history with a ground breaking bill. I won't go into the details, but suffice it to say he was working with the leader of several small countries to end the drug cartel's that were using people to smuggle drugs into the States. The bill would never have passed without this man and that's why the cartels singled him out. They wanted him dead and would have succeeded except for a young woman. She came forward and told someone who told someone else and I ended up as part of the SEAL team sent in to protect the senator. She was killed before we took out the assassin, but because of her we were able to protect the senator until the bill passed."

"I think I read something about that," Williams told him. "They tried to cover it up so nothing could put a damper on that bill."

"Exactly," McGarrett said and rubbed at his throbbing temples. "It can't be her."

"Did she have any relatives?"

"Not that I know of. According to her file she was an only child and grew up in a wealthy family. She had everything she wanted handed to her on a silver platter. She had her father so fooled that he hired lawyers and detectives to prove we were wrong about her, but the proof was insurmountable and we took her down. I think it probably killed her father…he died of a heart attack not long after."

"What about her mother? Where is she in all of this?"

"Last I heard she was travelling in Europe and remarried."

"Maybe it's her?" Williams offered.

"I don't think so. She wasn't really happy with her life and was one of the reasons we found her daughter. She's been in the news a few times because she married some Duke or other," McGarrett explained.

"Okay, so maybe she had uncles or aunts or cousins that have taken up the gauntlet," Williams said.

"Not according to the mother. She didn't have any living relatives and neither did her husband," McGarrett told him.

"What about children? Could she have had any?"

"I guess, but if she did it was kept secret from her own family," McGarrett answered.

"We should get chin to check her out?"

"Chin's on downtime just like the rest of us, Danny," McGarrett said.

"Are you really going to let someone else work this case, Steve?"

"Right now I don't have a choice," the SEAL told him and motioned to the IV lines.

"Oh sure, a Super SEAL like you is going to let a little needle keep you from going after an assassin?"

"Danny, sometimes even I know when to say when," McGarrett observed tiredly.

"No, Steve, I don't think so. Not now…this is too easy and I won't let you take the weight of this on your shoulders."

"She sent the Black Rose to me…the explosion happened because of me. Two people died because she wanted me dead."

"Then I suggest we make damn sure she doesn't get what she wants. You're too good a cop…"

"You forget I'm not a cop…"

"Maybe not, but you are Five-O. Without you this task force never would have happened and I may not always agree with how you do things, but I'll damn well stand beside you when push comes to shove. We're needed, Steve…even if it's just to take down people like Hesse and Wo Fat! We can't start second guessing what we do just because some bitch with a dead SEAL complex is making it her goal to take us down…because that's what happens if you give up, Steve. Five-O ceases to exist and people like Wo Fat and The Yakuza figure they're above the law again."

"What was the assassin's name…the one you killed?"

"Anastasia Kwiatkowski," McGarrett answered.

"That's a mouthful…Russian or Polish?"

"Mother was Russian….father was Polish," the SEAL answered and felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. Could this new threat be related to the black rose assassin who had more victims than he could count on both hands? She was cold-blooded and methodical and he had seen the people she'd killed or maimed in her efforts to kill her target.

Steve turned away from Danny and thought about the woman he'd met only once. Her hair was shoulder length, blond and starkly cut, yet it framed a face that was exotically beautiful with the greenest eyes he'd ever seen. She was slightly shorter than he was and her voice was as soft as a summer breeze. He'd known who, or what she was almost instantly, and he'd killed her because she'd wanted to complete her assignment even though there were innocent lives at stake.

Danny watched his friend for a couple of minutes and hoped he could let someone else take the lead in this case. Steve was a stubborn SOB and thought his SEAL training could help him overcome every obstacle, and, to be honest, most times it did. The problem was Steve was not invincible and no matter what training he had, sooner or later some injuries were insurmountable. Surgery to remove his spleen would keep a normal person off their job for several weeks, but with McGarrett the doctors would be lucky if he took a couple of days.

Williams looked down at his leg and knew there wasn't much he could do to stop McGarrett if the man decided to go after an assassin of this caliber. Kono was out of commission as well, and Chin wasn't exactly up to the task of searching for the woman. Yet, there was no way they could just push it aside, not when the woman had singled out one of their own and tried to take out the whole task force as collaborate damage.

Danny heard footsteps outside the door and listened as whoever it was spoke to the guard before opening the door. He recognized the man standing there and motioned for him to keep his voice down as he pointed to the man in the other bed.

"How are you, Danny?" Lukela asked softly.

"I'm okay, Duke," Williams answered. "Did you find out anything new about the explosion?"

"Not much, but I've got someone checking into it for me. He's not tied down like we are so if there's anything to be found he'll find it," Lukela answered.

"What about headquarters? Is it salvageable?"

"No, the whole place is probably going to be condemned and the governor has already put out feelers for another building," Lukela told him.

"The governor seems to be taking this personally," Williams observed.

"He doesn't like the idea that someone could take HPD down so easily. He wants a better building where it's easily defended and a place that has modern conveniences. He also mentioned something about better detectors for explosives and weapons and mentioned having a specialist who works with dogs."

"A K-Nine unit?" Williams asked.

"I think that's what it's called. They'll be able to sniff out drugs and explosives," Lukela told him and motioned to the other bed. "How's he doing?"

"You know Steve…he's blaming himself and he's not going to let it go. He's…"

"Awake and can hear you," McGarrett interrupted.

"How are you, Steve?" Lukela asked.

"Considering I've got one less organ and feel like I'm high half the time I'm good," McGarrett answered. "Tell me you've talked to Mana."

"Who's Mana?" Williams asked.

"Mana Kāne…he's an explosives expert," McGarrett answered.

"Can he be trusted?"

"I trust him. He lost his legs in an explosion a few years ago and no one knows whether it was one of his own jobs that went wrong or if he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. His specialty is liquid explosives," McGarrett told him and looked at Lukela. "Did you talk to him?"

"I did and I showed him what little we do have. He's going to check into a couple of things and get back to me," the police officer explained.

"I want to…"

"Sorry, Brah, but the governor doesn't want Five-O involved in this investigation."

"We already are, Duke…"

"It's too close, Steve…too personal."

"That's just it, Duke….she made it personal and I'm not going to sit this one out."

"What choice do you have? You and Danny are out for the count because of surgery. Chin's got a bum leg and Kono has a serious concussion. Five-O is out of commission, Steve, let us do our jobs," Lukela said.

Steve knew the man was right, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the assassin wasn't going to let it go that easy. She wanted him dead and had already proven she would do anything and everything to see it done. He wasn't going to let her hurt the people he cared about, no matter what it took.

"Look, I've got to get back to the office, but I'll do what I can to keep you up to date on the investigation…as long as you let us do what we're trained to do," Lukela told him.

"Right now I don't have much choice," McGarrett said. "Tell Mana to look at female assassins that specialize in liquid explosives and tell him to ask about Anastasia Kwiatkowski."

"Who is she?"

"She was an assassin…one of the best," McGarrett answered.

"Let me guess…she specializes in liquid explosives?"

"She used to…before I killed her," the SEAL told him.

"Then she can't be behind this," Lukela said.

"No, she can't, but I have a feeling the woman behind this is a relative of hers," McGarrett answered.

"Do you have a name?"

"No, I'm not even sure it's a relative, but the things she said make me think she is."

"All right," Lukela said and made a note of the name McGarrett gave him. "I'll run it through the data base and see if there are any red flags."

"Mahalo, Duke," McGarrett said. He looked at the IV running into his arm and cursed the fact that for the time being he was tied down.

"Anytime," the officer said and left the two men alone.

Steve sat on the edge of his bed and could feel Danny watching him. He knew Williams was worried, hell, he'd be crazy not to, but right now there wasn't much he could do. The ringing of the phone brought him out of his thoughts and he reached for it with a heavy heart. "McGarrett."

"Hello, Steven, how are you feeling? I know you must be angry about the mess I made of your office, but I should tell you I'm just as angry that I didn't finish my job…"

"Maybe you should come down here and we can talk about Anastasia Kwiatkowski…"

"Who?"

McGarrett heard the slight quiver in her voice and understood he was on the right track. He held up his hand when Williams went to ask him something. "You're not as good as she is, but the black rose was a dead giveaway…just like her…dead I mean."

"You bastard! You have no idea…"

"Oh, I have a few ideas…was she your mother…sister…lover maybe?" McGarrett asked, hoping he could keep her on the line long enough to get a trace.

"I know what you're doing, Steven, but it won't work. No matter what your people do they won't be able to trace my call. I was trained by the best and she would turn over in her grave if she thought I allowed you to get the upper hand."

"She can't turn over in her grave…there wasn't enough left of her to bury."

"You really are a mean bastard, but she knew that and so do I. Good bye, Steven, I will be in touch again very soon."

"Was that her?" Williams asked and saw the truth in McGarrett's eyes as he replaced the phone. "Maybe they got a trace."

"I don't think so," McGarrett said, but checked anyway, disappointed when the female tech told him the call wasn't long enough to get more than a generalized search area.

"We'll find her, Steve." Williams said and saw McGarrett's head shake slightly.

"Will we, Danny? Like Duke said Five-O is out of commission."

"We may be down, but Five-O is never out," the Jersey native vowed, and could tell McGarrett understood what he was saying. "Look, Steve, there's not a whole lot we can do from here, but if we give Kamekona a call maybe he can do some digging for us."

"Maybe," McGarrett said and reached for the phone. He nodded to Williams as he made the call and winced when he shifted a little too quickly.

"It's your quarter…"

"No one uses payphones anymore, Kamekona, and if they do it's probably a lot more than a quarter," McGarrett said.

"What can I do for you, McGarrett? You and Williams still under the doctor's knife?"

"No, but we're still in the hospital. Look, I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

"Name it."

"Are you busy or can you come to Queens?"

"I\m already there…just walking into your room," Kamekona said and grinned at the two men.

"That's funny…ha ha," Williams said and adjusted his leg as he shifted his weight.

"I knew you'd appreciate good humor," the big man said.

"Sarcasm doesn't mean anything to you does it?" the Jersey native asked.

"Sarcasm? What's that?"

"Something you're not very good at. Okay, what's in the bag?"

"Pineapple…"

"Oh, come on…you wouldn't do that!"

"Do what?" Kamekona asked and grinned at McGarrett before opening the bag and taking out two containers. "Mama said she can't come visit, but she can send some chicken soup for the soul."

"Thanks, Brah," McGarrett said and looked at the container disinterestedly. "I need…"

"A favor…name it," Kamekona told him.

"Can you ask your people about a woman named Anastasia Kwiatkowski?"

"That's a real mouthful…what's she done? Is she the one who blew up Five-O headquarters?"

"No, she's dead," McGarrett answered and told Kamekona everything he needed to know if he was going to help them.

"So, you think she may have had a daughter?" Kamekona asked.

"Daughter…sister…maybe a lover. Don't disregard anything and tell me everything you find out about her," McGarrett ordered.

"That's not much to go on," Kamekona advised.

"She's using the same signature Anastasia Kwiatkowski used. A black rose at the center of a bouquet of flowers," McGarrett explained.

"A black rose…some say that is a good symbol, Brah."

"Not in this case…she sent the rose to her victims and their families before she acted on her assignment. Check the local flower shops because it would be a special order…"

"Didn't the police already check the flower shops in the area?" Kamekona asked.

"They probably did, but the governor doesn't want us involved so no one is giving us much to go on," Williams answered.

"Damn, the whole team?"

"Yes, we're all under orders to stay out of it because we're too close," the Jersey native told him and saw the big man smile.

"So, if I do this I might be stepping on some toes?"

"I hope you mean that figuratively and not literally?" Williams observed.

"Was that sarcasm about my weight, 'cause you know it's not my fault. I'm big boned."

"Big everything," McGarrett teased.

"That just means there's more for the ladies to love," Kamekona advised. "I'll check with my sources and let you know what I find out. Did you talk to Mana?"

"Duke Lukela did. He's checking his sources," McGarrett answered.

"I'll check with him and make sure he doesn't tell Lukela you've got me working the case in spite of the governor's orders. When they letting you out of here?"

"A couple of days," McGarrett answered.

"You sure?"

"No, he's not. I think it's just wishful thinking," Williams answered.

"Maybe for you, Danny, but I'm not the one with a bum leg," McGarrett told him.

"No, but do I need to remind you of the surgery you had?"

"Uhoh, that's my cue to leave. You two sound like an old married couple and I'm not getting between you," Kamekona said and left the two men alone.

**TBC**


	9. Chapter 9

Mana Kāne studied the evidence Duke had given him and knew he'd seen the signature before. He'd spoken to several of his sources and found several markers that could link the explosives to key members of an old 'family'. They were hired to kill and maim when regular sources were either unavailable, couldn't deliver the right message.

Mana pushed back from the table and used his upper body strength to maneuver his wheelchair into the small, uncluttered kitchen. Most people who looked at him thought he was a slob, but the truth was he loved cleanliness and spent an hour a day just cleaning his one bedroom home. Vacuuming had been difficult when he'd first lost his legs, but he'd quickly discovered the joys of a longer hose and less pushing and pulling of heavy vacuum.

The kitchen was all on a level that was easily accessible so that he could reach anything and cook when he wanted. He'd invested in a Keurig brewing machine and found several flavors he loved. He'd gone through two boxes of coffee since Lukela had asked for his help two days ago.

Before he'd lost his legs, Mana had spent days working on the best way to provide his services to his clients. They consisted of people from all walks of life, and he'd even been hired by key members of the government, although no one would ever know that. He didn't regret killing the people he'd been hired to kill, and would probably have kept on killing if he hadn't made a stupid 'rookie' mistake that cost him his legs.

Mana opened the fridge and pulled out a can of beer and let the door close before grabbing a bag of chili heat chips. He backed out of the kitchen and made his way to the table where he looked at the papers spread across the top. He opened the bag and popped several chips into his mouth, cursing when the crumbs fell on the papers he was studying.

Duke had given him what little they had on the explosion and possible contents of the device, but it hadn't been that much. From the info he had, he'd already formed an opinion of whoever made the device. In his opinion, it was a true work of art and the signature of a black rose was one that could be taken many ways. In this case, it meant one thing, that whoever was after McGarrett would not give up and would try again before long.

Mana reached for the beer and took a long swallow before placing it in the exact circle of moisture it had rested in. He examined the nearest sheet and frowned when he noticed several familiar elements. If he was right, then he knew who was behind the explosion, and that meant his life could be in as much danger as Steve McGarrett's was.

An explosive expert, and that's how he saw himself, always added an element of himself to a job. It wasn't something that could tie it directly to him, but it was something he or she would be proud of. It would tell others exactly who they were dealing with. His signature had given him the nickname 'fireball' because the explosive burned hot like an iridescent flame that consumed everything in seconds.

If he was right, this was the work of a woman he'd met when she was a budding enthusiast. They'd been introduced by a man who was high profile in the world of politics and it hadn't surprised Mana when he'd heard the man died in a car explosion and on his grave a single black rose had been placed.

Mana wasn't afraid of anything, but he had to admit this woman scared the hell out of him. Not because she was damn good at what she did, but because she was young, very young to have such knowledge and kills associated with her name. She'd come from nowhere and had quickly proven she would take any job as long as the price was right.

Mana took out a magnifying glass and carefully scanned the images from McGarrett's office. The explosion had taken out most of Five-O headquarters and did structural damage to the building itself. It wouldn't surprise him if they condemned the building because of the explosion and after effects it caused.

"It is you, isn't it?" Mana whispered when he saw other signs that could point to the young woman from his past. He'd taught her several things, including how to cause an explosion to look like someone else's work, while keeping your own signature hidden from prying eyes. He'd learned how to recognize those signs and knew she'd surpassed his teachings.

"You always did poke your nose in where it doesn't belong, Mana."

Mana Kāne was not a man who frightened easily, but that silky, seductive voice sent a chill down his spine. He dropped the magnifying glass and the paper on the table and slowly turned his wheelchair until he looked into the coldest blue eyes he'd ever seen. His hands gripped wheelchair as he stared at the woman from his past.

She hadn't changed much since he'd last seen her, although she now had the body of a woman instead of a child. Her jet black hair hung loose to her shoulders with a streak of blond hanging down the right side. She was at least 6 feet tall and wore a tight black sundress buttoned halfway down her ample breasts. The stiletto style shoes added to her height and gave her a sexy, appealing quality he found hard to resist. She wasn't beautiful, but she wasn't hard on the eyes either.

"What's the matter, Mana? Aren't you happy to see me?"

"I thought we were finished a long time ago."

"We were, but it seems you've been poking your nose into my business again. I'm pretty certain I warned you not to interfere in my life again."

"I didn't know it was you," Kāne told her, surprised that he was able to keep his fear from showing. He swallowed convulsively as she walked around his chair and massaged his shoulders as if they were long-time friends.

"Do you really think that matters?"

"Probably not, but you should know others will recognize your signature."

"I'm sure they will, but by then I'll be out of reach. People like you should count their blessings and stay out of the picture. You showed up in my radar the minute your visitor left, but I gave you the benefit of the doubt," she said and suddenly placed a black rose in front of his face. "These are expensive, Mana, but well worth the cost. Do you think you're worthy of such a price?"

"I didn't tell them anything."

"Not yet, you didn't, but…" she said and sat on the edge of the table and reached for several pictures. "I'm sure you were getting ready to call your friend and tell him what you know…or think you know."

"Once I recognized the other signs I knew it was you and I vowed long ago never to cross you. Don't you think I've lost enough?" Kāne leaned back as she came to stand in front of him and leaned on the sides of the wheelchair so that their faces were mere inches apart.

"No, I don't, Mana. You're alive and if I let you remain that way you would talk to the police and tell them everything you know about me. You changed after you lost your legs…you became a snitch and that is something I cannot allow or condone. You will die, but I will make it a merciful death because of our friendship. You were my mentor many years ago, but now all I see is a husk of the man you once were. Perhaps you are more ready to face death than you know."

"I'm not ready to die, but I'm not afraid of it," Kāne told her and stared into her eyes, shocked when she was the one to break contact. "I won't beg for my life, Tara…"

"I would be disappointed if you did. Perhaps, we should share a beer and toast to whatever lies ahead of you. Do you believe in heaven and hell?"

"I believe hell is what we make of our lives, Tara, but some of us redeem ourselves, while others are destined for a fiery afterlife."

"Then it is fitting that you die in an explosion…one that will forever burn in my mind and heart. You were my teacher…and my friend and I regret what I must do, but life is not always about the right decisions. I have already set the explosives around the outside perimeter, Mana, and I believe I will allow you to live long enough to see the display from inside. Have no fear, you will not feel much pain…the explosives will take care of that. Is there another beer in the fridge or perhaps a bottle of wine?"

"There's beer," Kāne told her and watched as she turned toward the kitchen. He reached behind him, hoping to find his cell phone, but she held it up and chuckled softly.

"You taught me to make sure everything was as it should be, Mana. Death will come on swift wings and you will meet whatever afterlife you're destined for."

Mana watched as she took a beer from the fridge and joined him at the table. "I believe we should make a toast…to old teachers and old fools who allow their students to surpass them."

"I may be a fool, Tara, but remember you were once a teacher and one day a student will turn the tables on you," Kāne said and drank his beer. He licked his lips and hid the fear he felt at what was about to happen. She took several sips from the can and sighed before reaching into here bag and taking out several strips of rope.

"I soaked these in my own recipe and they will catch fire quickly. You will probably be dead from the concussive force before that happens."

Mana stared at her as she wrapped the ropes tightly around his arms and made sure they were secured to the wheelchair. He knew there was no point in fighting her and welcomed death as a way out of the life he had. He would never beg her for his life, but he'd prayed for his soul on several occasions and hoped if there really was a God, he was as merciful as people thought.

"I am sorry it has to be this way, Mana, but I cannot chance you telling your friends about me. You do understand don't you?"

"I understand that you are far more dangerous than I believed," Kāne told her.

"Yes, I am," she said and placed a strip of duct tape over his mouth. She kissed his forehead and stood back. "I wish there was another way, Mana, but you are a danger to me. If there is an afterlife then perhaps we will meet there."

Mana Kāne watched as she took two small bottles from her purse and placed them on the table. He knew what they consisted of and swallowed passed a throat that was already constricting in fear. He knew once the two liquids mixed he would die quickly, but that didn't ease the pain hidden deep inside. He watched her connect the device and make sure it was properly aligned, but there was nothing he could do to stop the progression of things.

"I am sorry, Mana Kāne, you were a good teacher."

Mana watched her leave and tried to pull his arms free, but his eyes were drawn to the mixing of the liquids and a soft cry escaped his throat. He knew there was no escaping now and silently prayed for God to have mercy on his soul. The liquids mixed, creating a tornado like vortex as the volatile combination exploded outward, raining fiery liquid across the table as several secondary explosions happened outside the home.

Mana had no time to think about his life or death as his home and memories came down around him. The smell was a mixture of items he gave little thought to as something sharp penetrated his chest and impaled him to his chair. His eyes grew wide as he fought to draw the heated air into his collapsing lungs. Death came for Mana Kāne and he embraced it above the pain that had once engulfed his mind and body.

**5050505050 **

Steve knew Carl Lewis was right and he was backed up by Felicia Chow, but that didn't mean he was going to back down easily. He wanted out, needed to find out what was happening in the outside world. Governor Denning had been in earlier and argued with him about the merits of a safe-house, but Steve was adamant about it not being a good idea.

"Commander McGarrett, you are three days post-op and granted you're doing very well, but you need to realize you're injured and had major surgery. It's not going to keep you down forever, but right now you need to let us take care of you," Lewis said.

"Listen to Dr. Lewis, Commander, because he knows what he's talking about. I'm the surgeon who removed your spleen, and that's not something to be taken lightly. You need to rest and let yourself heal. Give us another day…two at the most and if your numbers stay in the norm I'll sign your discharge papers myself," Felicia Chow told him.

"Look, Doc, I don't plan to go back to work…"

"You don't lie very well, Commander," Lewis observed. "I've known you long enough to know you don't like downtime, but there comes a time when you really don't have a choice. You go messing around with this and you could end up back in here for a lot longer than a couple of days."

"One more day…"

"Possibly two depending on your test results," the surgeon told him and placed his chart on the bedside table. "Look, Commander, I know your reputation and I know how hard it is for you to admit you need help. Give us the time we need and you might just find we're easier to get along with."

"I need…"

"Tell me something, Commander…what would you say to a witness if they wanted to meet with the perpetrator of a crime?"

"I'd tell them…"

"He'd tell them to take a step back and get real," Williams interrupted from the chair he was seated in with his leg resting on an ottoman. "You know they're right, Steve, so give it a rest!"

Steve sat on the edge of his bed, shoulders slumped, body language easy to read by his partner who knew how hard this was for him.

"Two days at the most, Commander, that's all I'm asking for right now," Chow said.

"All right," McGarrett agreed and looked at his two doctors. "Two days and you sign my papers or I leave with or without your approval."

"Deal," Lewis told him.

"Can we get rid of the IV?" the SEAL asked.

"I think that can be arranged, but you still need IV antibiotics so we leave a heplock in place. I'll send the nurse right in, but Commander, I don't want you thinking just because you don't have a tether you can leave," Lewis warned.

"I hear you, Doc," McGarrett said and sighed when the two doctors left the room. He glanced at the man seated in the chair by the window and shook his head when he noted the smug grin. "Shut up, Danno!"

"I didn't say a word," Williams said.

"Maybe not, but you think too damn loud," McGarrett said and turned on the television. He tuned it to the news channel, and listened as the anchorwoman gave details of an explosion in the west end of the city.

"It is unclear whether the owner was home at the time, but the fire marshal is on the scene…"

"Steve, what's wrong?"

"I know that house, Danny."

"Who lives there?"

"Mana Kāne…"

"The explosive guy who lost his legs?" Williams asked as Chin and Kono came into the room. Kono looked like hell, but she was alive, they all were and that was something to be grateful for.

"Have you seen the news?" Kono asked and realized they were watching the live feed from Mana Kāne's home.

"Was he home?" McGarrett asked.

"Unknown," Chin answered. "We heard it on the way over. I called Duke, but he couldn't tell me anything."

"Couldn't or wouldn't?" Williams asked.

"Probably both," Chin answered as a nurse came in.

"Commander, I'm going to unhook you," the woman said.

"Thanks, Mel," McGarrett said, but kept watching the screen as firemen continued to fight the blaze that was consuming the house. His eyes spotted something on the mailbox at the edge of the driveway and he knew the explosion was caused by the woman who continued to taunt him.

"Steve, what's wrong?" Williams asked as the nurse completed her task and left the room.

"There's a black rose on the mailbox," McGarrett answered.

"Are you sure?" Chin asked and moved closer. Behind the reporter he could see the mailbox McGarrett mentioned and the black rose attached to it. He didn't say a word when the phone beside the bed rang and Steve reached for it.

"McGarrett."

"Hello, Steven, are you watching the news? It is such a shame that Mana had to die because of you. Tell me, do you feel any remorse for causing his death?"

"No, I don't. I'm not the one that killed him."

"Oh, but you are, Steven, he was working on something he had no business working on, and I had to make sure he didn't give you the information he had. When are you leaving the hospital, Steven? You and I should talk."

"Yes, we should," McGarrett agreed and hoped he could keep her talking long enough to initiate a trace. "Why don't you tell me where you are and I'll…"

"You know better than that, Steven, and since I don't have much time I'll simply tell you that I'll be seeing you soon."

"Was that her?" Williams asked when McGarrett put the phone down.

"Yes," the SEAL told him, disgusted with himself for not being able to physically search for her. He knew she hadn't been on long enough to trace the call, but his eyes were drawn to a woman in the crowd behind the reporter. He didn't know her name, but there was no mistaking the features. She had to be related to Anastasia Kwiatkowski, and that meant he had to protect the people he cared about.

"Steve?" Chin called the name, but McGarrett's attention was glued to the screen.

"What's wrong?" Williams asked.

"See the woman behind the reporter?" McGarrett asked and reached for the phone.

"I see lots of women," the Jersey native answered.

"Shoulder length dark hair…holding a phone," the SEAL told him.

"I see her," Kono said.

"I think that's her," McGarrett said, cursing when she turned and walked away.

"Lukela."

"Duke, it's McGarrett. There's a woman behind the reporter…she's wearing a black sundress….shoulder length black hair…she's getting into a taxi. Dammit, she's getting away."

"I sent a couple of officers after her, Steve, but there's a big crowd here. Did you get the name of the taxi company?"

"No, there are too many damned reporters," McGarrett snapped and heard sirens behind the reporters as another wave of emergency workers appeared.

"I have to go, Steve, but I'll see if anyone knows who she is."

"Thanks, Duke…be careful….she's crazy," McGarrett said and hung up. His shoulders slumped and what little energy he had seemed to drain from his body as he looked at his team. "She is crazy, and I can't let her get to you guys."

"Steve, we've already been through this," Williams reminded him. "Don't make me hit you with a crutch."

"Not yet, but I'll lend him my cane if you keep talking stupid," Chin warned.

"He's right, Boss, she made this about all of us when she took out Five-O headquarters," Kono said.

"You don't know what she's capable of, Kono."

"Doesn't she?" Williams interrupted. "Or a better question might be do you? You don't even know who she is. You saw that woman and you think she's the one behind this, but can you say for sure it's her?"

"No, Danny, I can't, but she looks like Anastasia Kwiatkowski…enough for her to stand out in that crowd," McGarrett answered.

"Okay, then we start there," Kelly told them,

"You forget five-O is on stand down," McGarrett said and saw three pairs of raised eyebrows.

"Since when has that ever stopped us?" Williams said.

"Danny's right, Steve, we're Five-O and we're in this together as a family," Kono vowed.

"We'll do the legwork while you and Danny work on finding out everything you can about her," Chin said.

"I'll need a laptop," McGarrett told him.

"We both will…make sure they are WIFI accessible and cleared through the hospital administration," Williams said.

"All right, I'll bring my laptop in and see if I can get one from…"

"Rachel has mine," Williams said. "I'll give her a call and see if she can bring it in tonight."

"Sounds good," Kono said. "Chin, maybe we should check in with Kamekona."

"He was supposed to get back to me if he heard anything from his sources," McGarrett said.

"We'll stop at his truck and see if he's heard anything," Chin said and knew they were going against the governor's orders, but the man should be getting used to that by now.

"Chin, you and Kono need to be careful. She's already proven she's not afraid to go after Five-O," McGarrett warned and lay back. His back ached and he couldn't help, but feel that his friends were in danger as long as he was alive.

"We'll be back as soon as we can," Kono said and looked from one man to the other before leaving the room with her cousin.

Danny watched the slow rise and fall of Steve's chest, but he knew the man wasn't sleeping. He also understood it meant McGarrett was tight-lipped and didn't want to talk. He looked at his own bed and then at his leg and knew it was time for a little relief.

"Want me to call the nurse?" McGarrett asked without opening his eyes.

"That sounds like a good idea," Williams said with a hint of a smile. It wasn't long before the nurse helped him back to bed and elevated his leg.

"Would you like something for pain, Detective?"

"Not right now, Lori," the injured man said, relieved that the throbbing seemed to be subsiding.

"What about you, Commandeer?"

"No thanks, Lori," McGarrett said and closed his eyes as sleep beckoned to him. He heard the nurse close the curtains and turn out the lights before she left the room and silently hoped they'd be able to get a lead on the woman he'd seen at Mana Kāne's home.

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 10

Kamekona knew he had very little information for Five-O, but once he closed the truck he would go to Queens and let McGarrett know what he did find out. He leaned on the counter as a young couple walked toward the truck and smiled when they linked their hands.

"What can I get you lovely people?" Kamekona asked with a grin.

"I want Shrimp Jambalaya," the woman said.

"Make that two," the man told him and kissed the woman who had an engagement ring on her left hand.

"Would you like that extra spicy..."

"Why not…I do love my food spicy and my woman hot," the man said and pulled the blonde closer. "Right Cindy?"

"Right, Todd," the woman said and giggled as he tried to kiss her..

"Why don't you two take a seat at the table and I'll bring it over when it's ready," the big Hawaiian told them and smiled as the couple hugged as they walked to the picnic table. It was hot inside the shrimp truck, but the breeze from the ocean felt good as he took the large wok and quickly added everything needed to make his favorite specialty. "Do you want tofu?"

"No!" the couple said at the same time.

"Hey, Mr. Kamekona," the man said.

"Just Kamekona."

"Kamekona, what's that stuff under your truck?" the young man asked.

"It's sand, Todd," the woman said and laughed until her fiancé pointed to something near the front of the truck. "There is something there…what is that?"

Kamekona turned off the wok and stepped out of his truck as the couple moved closer. "Where is it?"

"Close to the front wheel," the woman answered.

Kamekona heard the something that sounded like the sizzle created when you poured hot oil into a hot wok and let his instincts take control. "Run!" he shouted and shoved the couple away from his truck. He heard them curse as they stumbled and barely had time to shout the warning again as the sizzling grew louder and the heat behind him intensified.

"Kamekona!" Kono screamed and exited the car as the shrimp truck seemed to be tossed into the air and landed on the roof. She'd seen the panic on his face as Chin pulled the car to a stop near the guardrail.

"Kono, call 911!" Chin ordered as the couple managed to climb to their feet. He hurried toward them, relieved that they just seemed shaken up as he hurried across the sand to the spot where he'd last seen Kamekona. The truck was fully engulfed in flames, and he held up his hand as if to ward off the heat. He rounded the back and spotted the big man lying face down in the sand.

"Chin, did you find him?" Kono called as she helped the young couple away from the truck.

"I saw it and then the truck exploded," the man told her.

"Are you hurt?" Kono asked.

"No, he pushed us away and then it blew up!" the woman answered excitedly.

"Kono, tell them we need an ambulance!" Chin said and knelt beside his cousin. He gently moved his head and wiped the sand away from his mouth and nose. He listened for sounds of breathing, relieved when the big man chuffed out a breath of air and tried to get up. "Easy, Cuz, are you hurt?"

"My truck just blew up. Of course I'm hurt," Kamekona snapped and managed to turn onto his back. He stared at Chin for several seconds, and then groaned as he looked at the flames eating away at his truck.

"What happened?" chin asked.

"My truck blew up. What do you think happened?" Kamekona tried to sit up, but his body wasn't cooperating as he looked at his cousin. "I would have been in there if it hadn't been for that couple. Where are they? Are they okay?"

"They're okay, Cousin," Kono offered. "I told them to stay away from the truck and show the paramedics where we are."

"I don't need an ambulance."

"Yes, you do," Chin said. "I saw how far you were thrown in the explosion."

"It was…wasn't that far," Kamekona said and swallowed when he looked at his truck.

"It took a lot of fire power to throw you, Cuz," Chin teased.

"No pun intended," Kamekona said as he tried to stand, but was easily stopped when Chin placed his hand on his chest.

"Stay down, Kamekona. The ambulance and fire trucks are on the way."

"My truck…"

"Your truck is beyond help…and the insurance will cover it. You did get insurance like we discussed?"

"Of course I did…I'm not stupid," the big man said and blinked his eyes as a trickle of blood ran down his forehead.

"No, you're not…it looks like you cut your head pretty good….might have scrambled your brains a little," Chin told him as an ambulance, fire truck, and police car arrived at the same time. He heard Kono directing the paramedics over to him and moved back so they could check on the downed man.

"I'm okay," Kamekona said.

"Humor is, Cuz," Kono said and smiled at the big man before talking to the paramedic. "He was pretty close to the truck when it blew and it was enough to send him flying like…"

"A big old blimp," Kamekona said and chuckled at his own joke.

"Can you tell me where you're hurt?" the paramedic asked.

"My ears are ringing and my head is ready to explode and if that happens I'm not cleaning up the mess, Brah," Kamekona answered.

Chin and Kono moved to speak to the police officer who was getting statements from the couple as firemen worked to put out the blaze.

"He was cooking hot Jambalaya when Todd saw something under the truck," the woman explained.

"It looked like something out of an old science fiction movie where the scientist was mixing two liquids and smoke rises just before all hell breaks out," Todd offered.

"Maybe it was too hot…the jambalaya I mean," the woman said and frowned as she looked at the fire. "That wasn't very funny was it?"

"It's okay, Ms. Tucker," the cop said and realized the young couple were probably in shock and should be checked over by the paramedics.

"I can walk…no way are you going to carry me," Kamekona was telling the paramedics.

"We need to put you on a backboard and C-collar," the lead paramedic told him.

"That's not happening…you'd need two collars and I 'm not going to sue anyone if I can't walk anymore," Kamekona said.

"Problems?" Chin asked.

"He's refusing to let us put him on a backboard," the woman said as she covered the wound above his right ear.

"Kamekona…"

"Look, Cuz, I'll go to the hospital, but putting me on one of them tiny backboards isn't going to happen. Besides my back's not hurting…just my head," Kamekona told them and managed to climb unsteadily to his feet as Chin moved to lend support.

"We need to get him into the ambulance," the female paramedic told them.

"Come on, Kamekona, I'll ride in with you," Kono said as reporters arrived. She knew it wouldn't be long before the story broke and Steve and Danny would find out about the explosion.

"Kono, I'll get Steve's laptop and meet you there," Chin said.

"Okay," Kono agreed and got into the passenger side of the ambulance as Kamekona and the female paramedic got into the back. It wasn't long before they were pulling away from the burning truck and on the way to Queens.

**5050505050 **

Dr. Kylee Jareau met the ambulance as it pulled into the emergency bay and was slightly surprised when the back doors opened and a rather large man smiled at her.

"Hello, Mama," Kamekona said.

"Well, it appears we'll need two gurneys," the physician teased as she quickly checked his eyes and listened to what the paramedic had to say. "Any allergies, Big Fella?"

"No, and I can walk," Kamekona told the pretty red head.

"He's stubborn," Kono told her and moved out of the way as her cousin exited the ambulance.

"Any nausea or dizziness?" the doctor asked as she walked beside the patient.

"I'm sick…not the throw up kind but the kind that happens when you lose your dream," the big Hawaiian told her.

"Better to lose your dream than your life, Cuz," Kono said as they reached a cubical and Kamekona sat on the gurney.

"What's your name?" Jareau asked.

"Kamekona, what's yours, Pretty Lady?"

"I'm Dr. Jareau, and I can tell you're going to be a barrel of laughs," the resident observed.

"A big barrel and I can be a lot more entertaining than some monkeys," Kamekona vowed.

"I bet you can and just maybe I might let you entertain me, but right now I need to take a look at your head," Jareau told him. "Now lie down and we'll take a look at you?"

"Oh, I love it when a woman orders me around," the big man said and did as she told him. His head felt like it was ready to explode and he moaned softly when she touched the wound above his ear.

"Hey, Cuz, it looks like you're in good hands so I'm going to go let Steve and Danny know you're here," Kono told him.

"Good hands…she can handle me just fine," Kamekona said and gasped when she began cleaning the gash.

Kono chuckled softly, a mixture of relief and worry as she headed for the elevators. Kamekona never ceased to amaze her and flirted with anyone who caught his eye. Dr. Jareau was right up his alley, and she'd proven she could handle him just fine. She reached the floor where Steve and Danny were and hurried toward their room. She pushed open the door, somewhat surprised to find both men sleeping soundly.

Kono tried to ease the door closed, but stopped when she heard movement inside the room. It didn't really surprise her when she looked at McGarrett and found his eyes open. She stepped into the room and glanced at Williams who seemed to be sleeping.

"Kono, where's Chin?"

"He's gone to get your laptop."

"I thought you were going to check in with Kamekona?"

"I was, but there's been another explosion…"

"Sonofabitch," the SEAL snarled. "Where?"

"Kamekona's truck…"

"Jesus…is he all right?"

"He's in the ER, but he should be fine. He's probably got a concussion, but his truck is totalled," Kono told him.

"Damn it," McGarrett curse and slid his legs over the edge of the bed. "I need to get out of here!"

"And do what?" Williams asked. He'd been awake since his partner's first expletive and understood his anger, but there was nothing they could do until they laid down the groundwork. That meant they would have to get as much information as they could off the websites. He was pretty sure McGarrett had enough clearance to get to any website and if the woman was on there, they'd find her.

"Danny, she's going after everyone I care about…"

"Then let everyone you care about help you find her. We've already been through this, Steve. You need to let us help you…you're a SEAL, not a lone wolf," Williams said.

"Listen to him, Boss, he makes sense," Kono said and moved to the chair by the window. God, her head felt like it was ready to explode and she knew she'd overdone things again.

"Kono, you should be home…in bed," McGarrett told her.

"I will be as soon as Chin gets here," the woman said.

"And you shouldn't be alone. She's already proven that she'll go after everyone," the SEAL said.

"I'll ask Chin to stay with me," Kono told him as the door opened and Chin entered the room with McGarrett's laptop.

"Kono, it's time you went home," Chin said and placed McGarrett's laptop on McGarrett's bedside table. "Come on, Cuz, we might as well head out. Steve, call me if you need some help with the search. I'll be online for a couple of hours at Kono's place."

"I will, Chin," McGarrett said and powered up the laptop once the duo left the room.

"You know if Doctor Lewis finds out you're working he'll…"

"He's not going to find out," McGarrett said.

"Really? This is a hospital and I'm pretty sure the nurses tell the doctor everything their patients do," Williams said.

"I'll just make sure the nurses don't see me working, but if you keep talking I'm not going to get anything done," McGarrett said. He tapped several keys, bringing up websites that were unavailable to the layman and next to impossible to hack even for those who thought they could hack anything given the time.

"Well, if your hell bent on doing this then I might as well help," Williams said and threw back the blankets.

"Danny, in case you haven't noticed you're in a cast and there's no way in hell you're getting up on your own," McGarrett said with a hint of a smile. "I'm just going to check a couple of files and see if there's anything new on Anastasia Kwiatkowski since the operation he'd been involved in. There was no doubt in his mind that she was dead, but did she have relatives he didn't know about?

"I hate it when you're right!" Williams said and lay back with a sigh. "Tell me what you're doing?"

"I'm checking to see if there's anything new on her dossier," McGarrett answered. "I know she's dead, Danny, but if she had a daughter then she's the best kept secret since the question about how Cadbury gets the caramel in this chocolate bars."

"That good…I don't think anyone has the answer to that yet," Williams said, hoping to ease the tension he sensed in his friend. He understood how McGarrett felt and would probably be doing the same damn thing if the roles were reversed. He studied Steve's face, a mixture of concentration and anger evident as the SEAL searched through file after file.

Steve perused the files, searching for anything that would give him an idea of who the woman was, but nothing about Anastasia Kwiatkowski pointed to her having a family. That didn't mean there was none; it simply meant she'd kept her private life cut off from her dark side. He kept opening up the hidden files, but each time he did he was disappointed by what he saw.

"Commander, I hope that's not what I think it is," Carl Lewis said when he pushed the door open and looked at the man engrossed in something on his computer.

"Sorry, Doc, I was just…"

"Working," Lewis finished for him. "Look, Commander, I'm not going to tell you to stop what you're doing, but you need to realize you're not going to be much help if you don't give yourself time to heal."

"She's out there, Doc, and she's going after the people I care about. I can't just sit this one out," McGarrett said.

"No one expects you to, but there's only so much you can do from here. I don't want you working past visiting hours or I'll have that laptop confiscated. It wouldn't take much…just a call to Governor Denning should do it," Lewis scolded.

"I won't," McGarrett told him.

"I'm taking your word on this, but just so you know I have a friend who used to threaten to use dull needles on her patients and I'm beginning to understand where she's coming from. Don't make me regret leaving that laptop with you."

"I'll try not to," the SEAL told him. "Doc, have you heard anything about Kamekona?"

"As a matter of fact I just left him with Dr. Kylee Jareau and she's got his number. I don't think I've ever seen anyone that big afraid of Kylee," Lewis said and checked McGarrett's chart, not surprised to see it had been nearly six hours since the man had asked for anything for pain. He moved to the other bed and picked up Williams' chart as the man raised the head of his bed. "So, Detective, where are you hiding your laptop?"

"I'm not hiding one," Williams said and had the good grace to lower his eyes as Rachel and his daughter came into the room carrying a familiar case.

"Not yet anyway," McGarrett said with a hint of a smile as Lewis closed the chart and looked at the newcomers.

"Okay, Detective, I'm going to read you the same riot act as Commander McGarrett…"

"You don't need to do that, Doc," Williams said. "Unlike Steve I know when to shut it down. Hey, Monkey, how's Danno's favorite girl?"

"I'm okay, Danno, but mommy says we can only stay for a little while because Uncle Stan is coming home today," the child said.

"I have a couple of other patients I need to check on before I leave, but I should warn you both that the nurses will tell me if they find you doing something you shouldn't be doing," Lewis said before leaving the room.

"We brought malasadas for you, Danno," Grace said as her mother placed the laptop on the table. "We brought some for you too, Uncle Steve."

"Thanks, Grace," McGarrett said and closed the lid of his laptop. He wanted to give Danny some time alone with his family and was relieved that he had long pajama pants and a t-shirt to go with the slippers someone had brought for him.

"Are you going somewhere, Steve?" Rachel asked.

"I need to stretch my legs. You guys enjoy yourselves…and Grace?"

"Yes, Uncle Steve."

"Don't let Danno eat all the malasadas."

"I won't," Grace promised and smiled as she turned to her father.

Steve let the door close behind him and hoped Danny enjoyed his visit with Grace and Rachel. There was no mistaking the love he had for his daughter, nor was there any way he could miss the chemistry between the two adults. Someday, he hoped they'd both realize they belonged together, but something told him Rachel would never accept the fact that Danny Williams was a born cop, one who wanted to protect the innocent and lock up anyone who thought they were above the law.

McGarrett walked toward the stairs and made his way down to the main floor. He made his way to the ER and stopped at the main desk where several people were talking to the nurse.

"Hey, Brah, do you think they got pajamas in my size?"

Steve turned to find Kamekona sitting in a wheelchair with an IV attached to his large left hand. The man was pale, and there was still dried blood on his head.

"I don't know, but is that a gown or a sheet they wrapped around you?" McGarrett asked.

"Dr. Kylee helped me into this herself. Think she likes her men big like me," Kamekona said and smiled at the nurse pushing his chair. "What do you say, Nurse Joan? A big fella like me got plenty to spread around."

"I think you already spread it around, Brah," McGarrett teased and then grew serious as the nurse went to the desk to update the file. "I'm sorry…"

"What you got to be sorry for? Did you blow up my truck?"

"No, but if I'm right then it happened because of me," the SEAL said as the nurse returned and took control of the wheelchair.

"They have a room ready for you, Big Fella," the pretty nurse said.

"It's not your fault, Brah, besides now I got an excuse to get a bigger truck and expand my horizons," Kamekona said as McGarrett walked along beside him.

"I thought you were happy with the shrimp truck?"

"I am…I was, but there are so many things an enterprising young man like me can do. Isn't that right Nurse Joan?"

"A man like you could do anything he put his big old heart into," Joan Murdock answered as she pushed the wheelchair into the elevator. "Would you push three for me?"

"Sure," McGarrett said and pushed the button. He listened to Kamekona flirting with the nurse and thought about the woman who was behind this. She was out there, somewhere, and until she was caught everyone he cared about was in danger. How many people had he put in danger because he'd gone after people like Anastasia Kwiatkowski? If he'd known the danger he'd be putting those he cared about in would it have changed his profession?

Steve understood there was no right or wrong answer to that question, because if he'd chosen to live his life differently, people would still die. Did it matter that right now it was people he cared about? Yes, it did, but that didn't mean he could give up what he did. There were too many people like Anastasia Kwiatkowski and Wo Fat waiting to take what didn't belong to them and too few cops to make sure they failed.

"Excuse me, Commander, but maybe you should return to your room," the nurse said once they reached the third floor.

"I'm okay," McGarrett lied and followed her out the door. He knew she was right, but he didn't want to leave until he knew Kamekona was all okay.

"Go, Brah, I got me this pretty lady to tuck me in and make me comfortable. Nurse Joan here is my very own Florence nightingale…isn't that right?" the big Hawaiian asked.

"Sorry, Big Fella, but I need to go back to the ER. Your nurse is going to help you into bed," the woman said.

"As long as she looks like you I would die a happy man!"

"You're not going to die," the nurse said as another woman moved to take control of the wheelchair. "Be careful with this one Paula, he's all talk and doesn't need the action!"

"You wound me, Mama," Kamekona said and smiled in spite of the throbbing in his skull.

"Come on, Commander, I'll walk you back to your room," Joan Murdock ordered.

"Thanks," McGarrett said and made his way toward the elevators as Kamekona was wheeled toward a room at the end of the hallway. He couldn't help, but smile when he heard Kamekona say something about protecting his virtue. By the time they reached his room he knew he'd need something to take the edge off, but he called on his training as he entered the room to find Rachel and Grace just saying goodbye to Danny.

"Uncle Steve, I made sure we saved some malasadas for you," Grace told him and she hugged him and said goodbye.

"Thanks, Grace, I'll have them after dinner," McGarrett said and smiled at Rachel as she left the room.

"Are you okay, Partner?" Williams asked as McGarrett dropped heavily onto his bed.

"I'm okay. Kamekona is going to be all right. He's already flirting with the nurses," the SEAL answered.

"Sounds about right," Williams said and studied the other man's face as their nurse came into the room.

"Commander, I need to set up your antibiotics," the woman told him and hung the bag above his head. "Would you like something for pain?"

"I'm good…"

"Tell him he doesn't lie very well," Williams interrupted.

"Danny…"

"I know you think you have to be SuperSEAL all the time, Steve, but now's not the time. I'm going to take something and since we're sharing a room I'd rather not listen to your moans and groans," the Jersey native told him.

"Commander, there's really no need to be in pain when we can give you the medication to help you rest. Sleep is something you need if you're going to heal properly," the nurse lightly scolded.

"Listen to her…she makes sense," Williams told him and saw the slight nod that told him he'd gotten through to the man, either that or Steve was hurting a lot more than he let on.

Steve closed his eyes and soon felt the nurse start the IV antibiotics and heard her tell him she was also giving him morphine and that it would work fast so he should not fight sleep. It surprised him when his mind gave in to the need for sleep and knew the guard who\d followed him around was posted outside the door.

**TBC**


	11. Chapter 11

She knew she'd nearly made a fatal mistake when she'd stayed to watch the explosion and total annihilation of Kamekona's Shrimp truck. Too bad the man hadn't been killed in the blast, but there was no point in dwelling on that now. She walked to the liquor cabinet and reached for the bottle of Chardonnay.

"Sweet nectar for a sweet lady," her date said and pulled her close.

She smiled and allowed him to kiss her as she poured the wine into two glasses. Allen Rider was nearly twice her age and married with three grown children. He deserved what she was going to do to him and her fee was already in her account.

"Why won't you tell me your real name, Amore?" the silver haired man asked, nuzzling her neck as she sipped the Chardonnay.

"If I told you my real name I would be forced to kill you," she whispered and heard him chuckle as he turned her in his arms and pressed his lips against her mouth. The smell of stale tobacco made her stomach churn, but she had learned to ignore her own discomfort, especially where her job was concerned.

"I want you, Amore."

"Then you shall have me, but you have to be clean."

"I took a shower this morning," Rider told her.

"I know, but it is all part of the experience. A shower will make us both feel better and I shall wash every inch of your virile body," she purred as she ground her body against his.

"In that case who am I to argue?" Rider said and finished his drink before taking her by the hand. "Come on…the water's hot, but I'm hotter."

"Yes, you are, but you should go first and I will join you with the items we need. Don't worry, it will be worth it and I promise it will blow you away," she said and took another sip of the liquor as he reluctantly released her and made his way into the bathroom. She knew the drug she'd slipped into his drink would soon take affect and he would be at her mercy.

"Don't be too long, Amore," Rider called in a voice heavy with lust.

"Are you in the shower, Lover?"

"I am…and it's cold without you in here," Rider called.

She removed her clothing and took the knife from the room service tray they'd ordered. The man spared no expense and his final meal had probably cost his credit card over a thousand dollars, but he could afford it, and his family would be better off without him using up their savings. She walked toward the bathroom and heard the shower running.

"Amore, please, I want you."

"Then you shall have me," she said and stepped inside, closing the door. She smiled at the man before making sure she was positioned under the shower nozzle. His eyes widened in surprise as she drove the knife into his chest. Blood spilled from the wound as she covered his mouth with her hand and watched the water dilute the blood that ran down his chest. She knew the knife had penetrated his lung and could hear the death rattle as blood escaped through his mouth and ran down her fingers.

"Men like you deserve what they get. Your wife and children are better off without you and I'm sure, in time, they will forget you even existed. I know I promised to wash you and that is exactly what I am going to do. A shower is the perfect way to get rid of any evidence that I was here," she whispered and stood up. She placed a strainer over the drain to catch any hair she might lose and knew it was time to finish this.

Allen Rider knew he was dying and watched in horror as she reached for the bottle of shampoo and washed the blood from her body. There seemed to be some kind of rattle nearby, and it took a few seconds to realize it was coming from his throat. His eyes refused to focus any longer and he finally realized the choice he'd made was the wrong one as death came for him.

She finished washing and stepped out of the shower, removing the cover from the drain and placing it in a plastic bag to take with her. She'd brought her own towels and quickly dried her body before getting dressed. The water would make quick work of any remaining evidence and she cleaned the knife before using her towel to turn the water off. She removed the knife and washed it in the sink, making sure her fingerprints were no longer on the handle before placing it back on the room service tray.

She'd learned many things since taking on the profession her mother had chosen and had kept her presence in the hotel room to a minimum. She washed the glass she'd used and put the bottle of Chardonnay in her bag. She cleaned everything she'd touched on the room service trolley and made sure she wiped down everything she'd touched.

Satisfied that she'd removed all trace that she'd been there, she pushed the trolley outside and placed the do-not-disturb sign on the door. It would keep room service from checking on the occupant until his time ran out and they'd need to speak with him face to face. She made her way to the service stairs and kept her face hidden from the cameras that were blinking green lights that signaled they were working. When this job had been offered to her, she'd taken the time to go over every detail of the fancy hotel, and knew when the body was discovered, the first thing the police would want was the surveillance tapes.

She checked to make sure the stairwell was empty before hurrying down the three flights of stairs and making her way outside. She had parked her car two blocks away and walked the short distance to the hotel. Now she simply needed to discard the bag with the evidence in it and she would do that far away from the scene of the crime.

No one saw her and she slipped past the final security cameras and walked away from the hotel. It took less than 15 minutes to reach her car and she clicked the button to unlock the doors before sitting behind the wheel and putting the key in the ignition. God, she always felt so exhilarated after a killing like this and knew when the time came Steve McGarrett would be the final nail that would solidify her reputation as a cold-blooded black rose.

She reached for the cell phone she used only for these calls and smiled as she hit the single number listed amongst her favorites.

**5050505050 **

McGarrett hadn't slept very long and looked at the laptop lying pen on the table beside his bed. It wouldn't take much to pull it closer so that he could work, but he also understood if he got caught with it Lewis would make good on his threat to take it away. He knew Danny was sleeping and wished he could do the same, but too many things were running through his mind.

Steve sighed heavily and turned on his side as the phone beside his bed began to ring. He picked it up and placed it against his ear as the machine kicked in and began an automatic trace of the call. "McGarrett."

"Hello, Steven, I do hope you realize how lucky your friends are. Kamekona could have been killed today because of you."

"Sorry, but I left that kind of guilt trip in the past," McGarrett told her.

"Really? Why do I find that hard to believe? Perhaps you really are a cold hearted bastard."

"No, I'm just a man who knows people like you are the reason this world needs people like me. You kill for the sake of killing…"

"No, I kill for a hefty payday, but in your case I do it for free. You took something from me…"

"Why don't you just say it like it is? I killed your mother because she deserved it and when I find you I'll do the same without batting an eye," McGarrett vowed.

"Do you really think you'll find me, Steven?"

"I don't think it…I know it and I'd advise you to keep looking over your shoulder because I'm not far behind you."

"You're still in the hospital, Steven, and I'm afraid I have to go. Black roses are hard to find and I need to replenish my stock and save one just for you. Good bye, Steven, I'll be seeing you sooner than you know."

"Sonofabitch," McGarrett softly cursed and realized Williams was awake. "She didn't stay on long enough."

"We'll catch her, Steve," Williams vowed and raised the head of his bed. He glanced at the clock above the door and wondered if his partner had slept at all, but one look at his eyes told him Steve was haunted by the past and he would not rest until they found the woman behind the black rose.

"I know, but how many people will she hurt before we do? I need to find out everything I can about her mother," McGarrett said and pulled the table over the bed.

"Are you sure you're after the right person?"

"I am now…she didn't deny it when I her that her mother got what she deserved," the SEAL answered and brought up the files he'd been working on earlier.

"You know they'll tell Lewis."

"Let them, I'll be done by the time he finds out," McGarrett observed and noticed Williams was trying to look at his laptop. "Stay there…I'll bring mine over. Maybe if we're both looking we'll see something that makes sense."

"You know I don't have your kind of clearance?"

"Not many people do, but I won't tell if you don't," McGarrett assured him with a grin and pulled the table over. He waited for Williams to move over and sat on the edge of the bed before pulling the laptop closer. "You know you'll be in as much trouble as I am if we're caught?"

"If it helps catch her then it'll be worth incurring Lewis' wrath," the Jersey native told him.

"I'll hold you to that," McGarrett said and brought up several Interpol sites.

"Tell me what we're looking for."

"Anything that could tell us about Anastasia Kwiatkowski and her family," McGarrett ordered.

"Is there any way we can link this through my laptop? It would be a hell of a lot faster and easier on the eyes," Williams said.

"Hold on," McGarrett said and pushed his table back to his bed. He pulled Williams table closer, and lifted the lid before looking at his friend. "You sure you want to do this?"

"It's better than dying of boredom."

"I hope you don't regret saying that," the SEAL said seriously. He waited for Williams to sign in and tapped in several keys so that they could link computers and go through the files that much faster.

**5050505050 **

Duke Lukela was never so tired in his life. It had taken everything he had just to make it home and he sighed when he opened the door and his wife walked over to meet him. God, he loved this woman and she'd given him three wonderful children to carry on their legacy. The oldest girl was accepted to the police academy and the twins were both talking about going to medical school.

"Rough day?"

"Very," Lukela told her and walked into the kitchen. He sat at the table and realized just how lucky he was when she served him dinner and coffee.

"Is there anything new about the bomber?"

"Not really. McGarrett thought he saw her at the explosion that killed Mana Kāne," Lukela explained. It always felt like the weight of the world was lifted off his shoulders when he got home. His wife would listen to everything he had to say and had never spoken of it outside the conversation they had.

"How many were injured in the explosions?"

"14, including McGarrett and Williams," Lukela answered.

"I know how hard this is for you, Duke," she said and reached across the table to hold his hand.

"The kid that died was only 19 and he'd taken the job because his girlfriend was pregnant. They were going to get married and live with his parents."

"It's such a waste of life," his wife said and knew her husband needed to unburden himself or it would keep him awake all night.

"Yes, it is. I went to speak to Mike's widow," Duke said of the cop that was killed in the explosion.

"I know how hard that was for you, Duke. How is she?"

"She's trying to be strong for the boys, but it's hard on her."

"I'll go over tomorrow and see if she needs any help," she said and smiled when he pulled her into his arms. She felt him tremble against her body and wished she could erase the events of the last week. She knew McGarrett and Williams were still in the hospital, and that her husband was working day and night to find the person responsible.

"I must be the luckiest sonofabitch in the world."

"Watch it…that's my husband you're talking about," she said and knew he was far too tired to do anything, but sleep. She took his hand and led him toward the bedroom they shared and hoped she could help him forget, even if it was only for a little while. She helped him undress and was soon lying beneath the blankets with his head resting on her shoulder.

"I love you," he whispered before allowing the sound of her heartbeat to lull him to sleep.

**5050505050 **

"Commander, I have…" Deanna Musgrave's eyebrows shot up when she entered the room to find both patients engrossed in whatever was on their laptops. Both men looked up like deer caught in the headlights of a car and she placed her hands on her hips as she walked over and stood between the two beds. "Now I know Dr. Lewis said you could have your laptops, but under the condition that you did not use them after visiting hours. According to my watch and the medication schedule that ended four hours ago. So, close them up and I'll make sure they stay safe and sound at the nurse's desk."

"I just need to save…"

"Your breath, Commander, because I'm not listening to any excuses. Dr. Lewis' orders were straightforward and I do not want to be the one to tell him that you disobeyed his orders. Close it down or I'll do it for you," the nurse warned. She'd been married to a drill Sargeant for nearly 30 years and knew how to talk to stubborn men like Steve McGarrett and Danny Williams.

Steve reluctantly closed the lid on his laptop and noticed Danny do the same. They'd managed to get through more than a dozen files and he wanted to keep working, but the set of the woman's shoulders and body language told him he'd lost that argument before it even began. He lifted his hands as she reached for the laptop and watched as she did the same with Danny's.

"I'll see that you get these after breakfast tomorrow morning unless Dr. Lewis says otherwise," she told them and left the room.

"Damn, that woman reminds me of Joe," McGarrett observed.

"Drill Sargeant?" Williams asked.

"Iron fisted at that," McGarrett offered and rubbed at his eyes. They burned and he knew he only had himself to blame for that as he glanced at Williams. Danny looked like hell and he instantly regretted getting the man involved in his search for answers.

"You didn't force me to do it, Steve," Williams said and grew quiet when the nurse returned.

"Well, Gentlemen, it seems Dr. Lewis left orders for dull needles, but since we sent them out already I guess we could just shove them into your behinds! So, who's first?"

"I don't need…"

"That would be you, Commander, thank you for volunteering. Now, turn on your side," the woman ordered and heard the other man chuckle softly. "Don't get too comfortable, Detective, I have yours right here as well."

"Shit," Williams spat and winced when she jabbed the needle into McGarrett and disposed of it before moving to his bed.

"Right or left?" she asked and readied the injection. When he turned slightly on his left side she quickly delivered the prescribed medication and smiled at both men. "That should make sure you both get the rest you need. I'll be back to hook up the antibiotics in a couple of minutes."

"Sonofabitch," McGarrett cursed as the drug she'd given him took effect. He knew Williams was probably given the same shot and looked at the nurse who returned to start the medications.

"Don't fight it, Commander, it's going to make sure you get the rest you need," Deanna Murdock said and looked at the man in the other bed. "Detective Williams is already sleeping and your laptops are safe. I'll return them in the morning after Dr. Lewis finishes his rounds."

Steve nodded and closed his eyes, sighing tiredly as he gave in to the lethargy creeping through his mind and body. He drifted back in time as memories became dreams that had once haunted him.

_Steve knew the man he protected could mean the difference between an all-out drug war on American soil. Senator Frank McLane was one of the good guys and his mandate had put him in the sights of several drug kingpins, both here and in Mexico. The man had family and that meant he gave hostages to fortune. Those hostages needed to be protected just as much as the senator. _

"_McGarrett, there's movement at the northern perimeter," Commander Dwayne Harris advised. _

"_I see it," McGarrett said and sighted down the barrel of his sniper rifle. He could make out a body, but whoever it was kept to the shadows and just out of range. _

"_Can you take the shot?" _

"_No, Sir, I'm going offline until I find her."_

"_All right, McGarrett, but watch your six," Harris warned. "I'll send Taylor your way."_

"_Just tell him to stay frosty," McGarrett said of his friend Nick Taylor. The man knew his job, but there were times when his inexperience in real combat came through. Steve moved away from the corner of the house and made his way toward the area where he'd last seen the figure dressed in black. He'd relinquished his sniper's rifle for a specialty handgun that was made for close quarter's fire. _

"_Hey, Smooth Dog, I got your six."_

"_Am I supposed to be relieved? Stay back, Bullfrog, and let me handle this," McGarrett ordered. He stayed as close to the cedar hedge as he could and made his way toward the person advancing on the house. If he was right and it was the woman on the most wanted list, then she would be carrying two items, a liquid bomb, and a black rose. _

_Steve knew he had to stop her before she reached the main house or she would activate the device and kill every one inside. He stood still for several seconds listening for any sound that would tell him where his target was and was rewarded with the sound of a footstep to his left, maybe ten feet from his position. _

"_Do you have a visual, McGarrett?" _

"_Negative…I need radio silence, Sir," Steve said and silently cursed the man for not keeping his mouth shut. When this was over, he'd make damn sure the man understood the orders and didn't give a damn that the man was in charge of this mission. He continued to move, listening as the wind rustled the branches above him, but caught the distinct sound of a branch breaking close to his position. He waited to see if it would be repeated and moved forward when he saw a dark shape moving along the tree-lined path._

_Steve ignored everything around him, concentrating on the job ahead of him. He needed to get to her before she had a chance to arm the explosive and complete her assignment. He moved with an ease that had given him the nickname Smooth Dog because of the way he moved without making a sound. _

_McGarrett was within five feet of his target when she turned and looked directly into his eyes. The dark clothing made no sound as she lifted a gun and fired. His mind registered the searing burn of a bullet across his right side, and he returned fire, his bullet struck her in the chest and she toppled backward, but not before she pressed the button on the device she held in her left hand._

"_I may die…but I will take you with me."_

_Steve heard her laugh and dove behind the concrete barrier of fencing just as the cracking sizzle told him the explosive was armed, He covered his head as the bomb sent a concussive force through the area and felt the debris land around and on top of him. He could not hear anything above the ringing in his ears. _

"_McGarrett, where the hell are you?"_

_Steve turned onto his back and looked up at the full-bodied moon above his head. He swallowed convulsively as Nick Taylor and Dwayne Harris knelt beside him. There was no mistaking the death of the assassin when he turned on his side and looked into her dead eyes set in the only part of her body that had survived the explosion. A single, perfect black rose landed beside him and he hoped he would never see that particular flower again._

"_That's one way of disarming an explosive situation, Smoot Dog," Taylor said. _

"_Where are you hurt?" Harris asked._

"_We need a medic here!" Taylor called. _

_McGarrett knew those sightless eyes would haunt his dreams, but he understood there was nothing he could have done to change what had happened. Anastasia Kwiatkowski was an assassin and would have shown no remorse for killing Senator Frank McLane. The man was a honest politician and God knew they were few and far between. His eyes closed as the medic knelt beside him and darkness took him away._

McGarrett opened his eyes with a sharp exhale of air as he escaped the dream. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, listening to Danny sleeping in the next bed. He knew it was early, but he could hear the nursing staff making their way along the outer hallway. He stood up, made his way into the bathroom and looked at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes were rimmed with dark shadows and he felt as bad as he looked. He reached for the washcloth and ran water over it before washing his face.

The memory brought on by the dream left him cold, but he knew she'd died by her own hands. If he was right and this was her daughter, then he'd have to be careful. He'd told Danny, Chin, and Kono that he would not go lone wolf, but he might have to if he wanted to catch the woman behind the bombings.

Steve ran his fingers through his hair before making his way back to his bed. He knew Lewis would release him today, but Danny would not get out for another few days because of the injuries sustained in the explosion. Chin and Kono were also injured, but they would be able to help him search for the woman.

McGarrett climbed back into bed and placed his hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. There was a small water stain on one of the tiles and he wondered if there'd been a leak at some point in time. God, he hated being alone with his thoughts, especially when they kept returning to the fact that his friends were injured because of something from his past.

**TBC**


	12. Chapter 12

Chin stretched his leg out on the couch and gently massaged the area above the wound. He'd taken advantage of his cousin's spare room, but had finally taken one of the pills the doctor prescribed for pain. Now, he sat at the dining room table, his laptop open and several files keyed in.

Anastasia Kwiatkowski was a cold blooded murderer who took pride in her work and didn't give a damn who she hurt to get to her target. McGarrett was right about the woman, but there were several things that had plagued Chin about the woman's past. He didn't think the woman was stupid enough to use her real name, especially if she did have family.

Chin had never told the others about his own experiences with black ops, but he was pretty sure John McGarrett knew about it. Steve was his father's son, and that meant he'd probably checked into the backgrounds of his team. He didn't blame McGarrett for doing that, hell, he'd have done the same damn thing. The truth was, he'd done it, checking Steve's background to find out if he was his father's son in every way possible.

"What are you working on, Cuz?" Kono asked from the kitchen. She'd been awake long enough to know her cousin hadn't slept much and the fact that he hadn't noticed her presence told her he was totally engrossed in what he was doing.

"I've been checking with some of my contacts to see if anyone's heard of Anastasia Kwiatkowski. According to them there's no record of her before that first bombing she's credited with."

"An alias?"

"Has to be," Chin said and nodded when she offered him a coffee. "I've called in a couple of favors and it looks like Anastasia Kwiatkowski was born in 1999."

"That would make her 14 and means she was killing at the tender age of four or five," Kono said and closed her eyes. The headache was a dull reminder of the explosion, but at least they weren't as bad as they'd been the first few days.

"I've been checking into people who seemed to have disappeared in the year prior to her 'being born'," Chin said and used his fingers to make quotation marks when he said the words.

"Did you find anything?" Kono asked and sipped the hot brew.

"There are a couple of strange deaths that happened the year before, but only one sounds like our bomber. The story has it that Anna Borchevsky was killed in an explosion aboard a yacht while sailing with her husband and daughter. The strange thing is the husband and daughters made it into the dingy and were found alive."

"Do we have an address on them? How old was the daughter?"

"No address…just that they were living in Warsaw, Poland. He works for a government agency. The daughter was 10 at the time of her mother's death."

"That would make her 24 now. Are there any pictures of her?"

"There are, but her face is always obscured. She's either camera shy or trying to keep her identity a secret," Chin explained and brought up the few pictures he'd managed to find. The woman's face was either turned away from the camera or covered by a scarf. She had shoulder length black hair, while her father's seemed to be dark brown.

"That could be the woman Steve saw at Mana's place," Kono observed.

"That's what I thought. I'm going to do a little more digging and maybe we can get a better shot of her," Chin said.

"Did you get any sleep, Cuz?"

"Not much," Chin answered honestly.

"Maybe you should go back to bed. Visiting hours isn't for a couple of hours," Kono advised.

"That sounds like a plan. Call me at eight and we can check with Duke on the way to the hospital," Chin said, standing and stretching the kinks from his back. He made his way toward the spare bedroom and knew Kono was right about him needing sleep. He felt like hell, and that could lead to him making a mistake and missing something important where this case was concerned.

Chin lay down on the bed; not bothering to take off is clothes as he waited for sleep to come. He could hear Kono moving around in the living room and knew she was probably going to keep searching for information.

**5050505050**

Steve looked up as Carl Lewis entered the room and readied himself for the battle he usually had with the man. Danny was seated in the chair near the window, but his attention was also on Lewis.

"So, you were caught working after visiting hours," Lewis observed and placed the two charts on McGarrett's bedside table.

"I need to find out who did this before anyone else gets hurt," McGarrett told him, surprised when the man sat on the bed and nodded slightly.

"I understand where you're coming from, Commander, and I know you want to do your job, but I have to do mine as well. My job is to make sure my patients get the care they deserve even if they put others ahead of themselves. I know we agreed that you would be released tomorrow…"

"I'm leaving today, Doc," McGarrett said.

"Commander, you realize you're…"

"I know I'm hurt, Doc, and I don't plan to go back to work, but I need to check out a few leads on my laptop. I'll work from home and I'll sleep better in my own bed."

"Will you…sleep I mean?" Lewis asked.

"I will…I just need to check a couple of sites."

"What if you did that from here?"

"No, I can't. There are some things on my home computer that I can't get to here. I need to reference them without worrying about someone hacking the sites off my laptop," McGarrett explained.

"Commander…Steve, I know how you feel about what happened at HPD and to your friends, but you're not to blame for what someone else does. You and Detective Williams chose a dangerous career, and admire you for what you do to make this city a safer place for people like me. There aren't many people who have the skills you and your team have and I'm sure you'll figure out who's behind this, but let me do what I do best. Let me make sure Five-O is around for a long time."

"That's why I need to go home, Doc. Look, I'll come back if I need to, but right now I'm able to move…so let me do what I do best," McGarrett told him and knew Lewis had finally run out of arguments when he glanced at Williams.

"No, don't even think about asking because one fool is one too many. You're not getting out of here until your surgeon signs off on you so don't give me any grief…"

"I didn't say a word," Williams said.

"No, but you were going to," Lewis said and turned to McGarrett. "The truth is, Commander, I can't think of a valid reason to keep you under wraps, but I can assure you I will come up with something if I hear even a whisper of you being at HPD," Lewis warned.

"I'll go straight home," McGarrett said. "How's Kamekona?"

"For a big man he's a coward where his doctor is concerned. I've never seen anyone so willing to do what he was told. Maybe you two should take lessons from him."

"Kamekona is going to milk the attention for everything he can. I'm betting his doctor is probably a pretty woman…"

"She is, but she's too smart to fall for his antics. All right, Commander, I'll sign your discharge papers as long as you come straight back here if you have any problems. Especially if you develop a fever."

"Thanks, Doc."

"Don't thank me…I'd rather keep you here for another day or two, but I'll have to settle for Detective Williams."

"He doesn't have a choice," McGarrett said of his friend's casted leg.

"Be that as it may he's not as stubborn as you," Lewis said and stood up. "Detective Williams, Dr. Martinez will be in to see you later today and discuss the treatment you'll need after you're released."

"Thanks, Doc," Williams said and watched his partner as the doctor left the room. "Steve…"

"I'm not going after her, Danno, I'm just going to do some research," McGarrett told him.

"Who are you trying to convince?" Williams asked.

"I'm not sure," the SEAL answered honestly. The truth of those words was obvious in the set of his shoulders and he looked at his partner. "If she is Anastasia's daughter she won't stop until either she's dead or I am," McGarrett told him.

"I'd rather it not be you…"

"Me too," McGarrett agreed as Chin and Kono entered the room.

"Hey, Boss, Lewis told us he's agreed to let you go," Kono observed.

"I just need to wait for the nurse and scripts," McGarrett told them. "What's that?"

"Pictures," Chin answered of the papers in his hand. "I did some research last night and found several things that might be related to the bombings."

Steve listened as Chin went over the information he had and stared at the pictures. There were no full pictures, but Steve was sure he knew who the woman was.

"Her name is Anna Borchevsky," Chin said of the dark haired woman who stayed in the shadows. "I found several pictures of her father, but her mother is something of a ghost. She disappeared the year Anastasia Kwiatkowski was born."

"She could be the woman I saw behind the reporter the other night," McGarrett told them and studied the pictures. "Chin, is there anything about her father?"

"He worked for a defunct government agency in Warsaw until his death last year. Anna has been traveling extensively and I'm running a check on the cities she's visited to see if there were any explosions where a black rose was left," Chin answered.

"I can't help feeling that this is her," McGarrett said of the woman in the pictures.

"Commander, I have your walking papers," the nurse said upon entering the room. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No," McGarrett answered and took the paperwork.

"You have two prescriptions you need to fill and you have an appointment to see Dr. Chow in her office in one week, but if you have any problems then come back to the ER."

"I will Lana," McGarrett assured her

"Very well," the matronly woman said and moved to Williams. "Detective, I am going to help you out of bed after Commander McGarrett leaves. Do you need anything for pain?"

"No, thanks, Lana, I'm okay right now," Williams said.

"Very well. I'll be back shortly. Commander, take it easy and get the rest you need," the nurse said before leaving them alone.

"Do you have any clothes here, Boss?" Kono asked.

"In the closet," McGarrett answered and waited for her to get them.

"I'll wait outside," Kono said and closed the door behind her.

**5050505050 **

She cursed as she looked at the messages in her inbox. She knew her way around computers and had set up red flags when someone searched for any name associated with hers. Chin Ho Kelly was a lot smarter than she gave him credit for and his actions were forcing her to step up her schedule.

It had been a simple matter to find out that Steve McGarrett had been released from Queens. Most times it was just a well-placed question to a harried hospital volunteer. The man behind the desk was busy with several people when she'd asked for his room and he'd quickly checked the files while trying to help three other visitors.

She knew her mother would have been proud of her, but she would never hear it from her because of Steve McGarrett. The man deserved to die in an explosion like the one that killed her mother, and she would make damn sure he did before returning to Poland. She had a tidy sum of money from several 'jobs' and could be choosey about the assignments she took. This one would give her the satisfaction of avenging her mother's death.

In Poland she was using her father's name, one that was well known to government officials because he'd helped rally the people around the officials running the country. It was amazing how gullible people could be, and she wondered if her father had any idea of who she really was or that she had watched her mother create the masterpiece behind the explosions that had killed so many.

She picked up the bottle of brandy and poured herself a glass before walking out onto the terrace. The apartment she was living in belonged to an old boyfriend who would do anything she asked of him. He was at work now, but when he returned she would go to bed with him as a reward for helping her. It also meant he would have to die in order to keep her secret.

She reached for the phone and smiled before making the call that could very well be her last one to Steve McGarrett.

**TBC**


	13. Chapter 13

Steve eased his aching body down on his favorite chair and sighed tiredly. Chin had driven him home and after checking with the cop assigned to protect him, he'd left to check in with Duke Lukela. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath before opening them and looking at the bottle of pain medication. He knew he could take one, but he called on the stubborn pride that made him who he was.

Steve looked at his cell phone when it began to ring and picked it up. "McGarrett."

"Hello, Steven, I won't keep you long, but I wanted you to know the time is almost here and I will collect on an old debt."

"Bring it on, Anna, I'll make sure you get to say hello to your mother in hell!"

"You have me mixed up with someone else, Steven?"

"Who are you trying to convince…me or you?" McGarrett asked. He'd heard the slight change in her voice and knew he'd scored a direct hit as he leaned back in the chair. "Why don't you come over and I'll tell you how easy it was to kill your mother with her own bomb?"

"Maybe I'll go visit Detective Williams' daughter instead, Steven. You seem to think you know me so well…"

"You're a coward, Anna! You hide behind explosives because you're afraid to meet your victims face to face!"

"I'm not a coward, Steven, but I'm not quite ready to kill you yet. Keep watching the news because someone else you care about will die today!"

Steve cursed when the line went dead and quickly called Chin. He told him about the call and confirmed that the woman they were after was Anna Borchevsky. He told him they needed to put Rachel and Grace under protective custody, and maybe get them to a safe house before Borchevsky made good on her threat.

McGarrett knew Chin would call Duke, but he needed to check in with Rachel and make damn sure she and Grace were out of danger. He reached for the keys to his truck, grabbed his gun, and hurried to the door. He told the cop where he was going and didn't stay long enough to hear the man quote him the dangers of going off like this.

Steve quickly put his keys in the ignition and drove away from his home as the cop got in his patrol car. He knew Rachel and Grace would be at home, but wasn't sure where Stan was. He just needed to make sure Borchevsky didn't get close to them. He drove along the street, relieved that the streets were no longer congested with rush hour traffic.

It took less than 15 minutes for him to reach the Edwards home and he buzzed the house. He tapped the steering wheel impatiently and hoped Rachel would answer.

"Can I help you?"

"Rachel, it's Steve…"

"What are you doing here? You should be in the hospital!"

"Dr. Lewis discharged me this morning. I need to talk to you," McGarrett snapped.

"I was just going to take Grace to the park with Jillian and Donna…"

"Please, Rachel, it's important!"

"All right…come on up to the house," Rachel said and opened the main gate.

Steve drove through the gate and pulled to a stop in front of the steps. The door opened and Rachel hurried down to meet him. "Where's Grace?"

"She's in her room," Rachel answered and frowned when she saw something on the windshield of her car. "Did you put that there, Steve?"

"What?" McGarrett asked and turned to see what she was pointing at. "Get in the house and get Grace."

"What's wrong?"

"I'll explain in a minute, Rachel, just get Grace!" McGarrett ordered and saw the fear in her eyes.

"Does this have anything to do with the explosions?"

"I think so," Steve said and took her arm as the cop exited his car. "Who else is here?"

"Just the woman from the housekeeping company," Rachel said and led the way into the house.

"Where is she?" McGarrett asked, drawing his weapon.

"Is that really necessary?"

"I hope not…where is the woman?"

"She's cleaning the upstairs washroom," Rachel said and hurried toward the stairs leading to the upper level.

"Call Grace," McGarrett told her.

"Grace, it's time to go meet Jillian and Donna," Rachel said, frowning when her daughter didn't answer. She turned and looked at McGarrett when he touched her arm.

"Where is Grace's room?"

"The second door on the left," Rachel answered.

"Rachel, I want you to go outside and call 911…"

"I don't think so, Steven, I believe it's time for Grace's snack. Isn't that right, Mrs. Edwards?"

"Who are you?" Rachel asked, her voice shaky as the young woman from the housecleaning company held on to her daughter's left arm.

"Her name is Anna Borchevsky," McGarrett answered. "Let them go, Anna."

"I don't think so, Steven. I think we're going to have a nice chat and tell them how many people have died because of you," the young woman told them.

"Grace, come here," McGarrett tried and saw the gun in the woman's hand.

"No, she's fine right where she is," Anna told him.

"She's a child…let her go, Anna," McGarrett tried, but knew there was no negotiating with her.

"Children need to see how things work in the real world, Steven. Isn't that right, Mrs. Edwards?"

"Please, just let her go," Rachel said.

"Would you beg for her life, Steven?" Anna asked.

"Would it make a difference if I did?" McGarrett asked.

"Perhaps, but I really don't want to hurt a child, so this is what we're going to do. You're going to toss your gun over the railing and then we're going to make our way down to the living room. It's a shame I spent so much time cleaning today, but at least I earned my wages…or should I say I earned Ms. Millers wages. She won't need it anyway," Anna told them. "All right, Steven, don't make me repeat myself."

Steve knew he didn't have a choice and tossed the weapon over the rail. He kept his eyes on Grace, and could see the fear in her eyes, yet she wasn't shaking or crying. She was so much like her father right now and no matter what happened, he was going to make sure she and Rachel got out of this safely.

"Did you tell anyone where you were going, Steven?" Anna asked.

"The police should be here any minute," McGarrett answered as they made their way down the stairs.

"I should have known you would do that. You really are a coward…go into the living room, Mrs. Edwards," Anna ordered.

"Go ahead, Rachel," McGarrett told her.

"Let me take Grace…"

"No, I believe Grace is fine where she is for now. Do you realize how much danger your ex-husband and his friends put you and your daughter in? They think they know right from wrong and yet they kill as easily as I do."

"They don't kill unless they don't have a choice. People like you kill for money and that's…"

"Careful, Mrs. Edwards, you wouldn't want to be the cause of your daughter's death," Anna told her and motioned for her to sit down.

"Anna, my truck is outside…we could leave before the police get here. It's your only choice and you know it. Once the police get here it'll be too late," McGarrett told her.

"It's already too late, Steven. I'm sorry you and your daughter are caught in the middle, Mrs. Edwards, but such is life when you marry a cop. Now, Steven, sit down so we can chat like civilized people," Anna ordered and waited for the man to comply. "I know your daughter is innocent and I will allow her to leave once you secure Steven's arms behind his back, Mrs. Edwards."

"What do you want me to use?" Rachel asked.

"There are handcuffs in my bag," Anna told her and motioned to the bag she'd left near the door leading into the kitchen. "Take them out and make sure you secure Steven's hands behind his back. I will check them myself before I allow Grace to leave and if they are loose then she will remain here with us. Do you believe me, Mrs. Edwards?"

"I believe you," Rachel said, swallowing convulsively as she hurried to the bag and reached inside. She found the handcuffs and looked at the knife partially hidden beneath a scarf. She bit her lower lip and turned to show Anna Borchevsky that she held the handcuffs.

"You may have just saved your own life, Mrs. Edwards. If you had tried to take the knife and hide it I would have simply killed you both right now. As it is, you have earned my respect," Anna told her.

"That doesn't mean much when you're holding gun on my daughter," Rachel told her.

"That can stop if you do as you're told," Anna said.

Grace had remained silently since the woman had told her she would kill her mother if she didn't do as she was told. She remembered some of the things Danno and Uncle Steve had taught her and felt the woman relaxing once they'd reached the living room. She remained silent while her mother retrieved the handcuffs and felt the fingers on her arm relax a little. She was close enough to the kitchen door that she could make it, but what if the woman shot her mother?

Steve had seen the changes in Grace and saw her eyes shift as she looked at the open doorway. She was Danny's daughter, and something told him she'd learned a few things form him. As Rachel moved around behind him, he saw Anna lift the gun and the change in Grace was instantaneous as she pulled away and dove through the open doorway.

Steve shoved Rachel out of the way as a gunshot sounded and he dove at the woman before she could go through the kitchen doorway. He latched onto the gun in her hand and prayed that Rachel would get Grace to safety as he struggled with Anna Borchevsky. She was strong, but normally he would have been able to take her down easily, but she struck out and connected with the healing surgical incision.

Steve cried out, but didn't release his hold on her wrist as she tried to bring the gun around. He thought he heard a door slam shut, but could not take the time to check as he struggled with the woman who'd killed so many and would continue killing if she escaped today. He twisted his body, stumbling as she tried to put him down, but he knew he could not continue this type of struggle much longer.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance!" she snapped.

"Yes, you should have, but I'm not that easy to kill!" McGarrett told her and grinned as he bent her wrist back, fighting to keep the gun pointed away from his body. He could feel his heart racing and the blood pounding in skull as she managed to twist away from his grip. The gun flew from her hand, but she was quick on her feet and managed to get the knife from the bag.

"I'm going to enjoy gutting you, Steven, and then I'm going to kill everyone you care about!"

"You talk a lot, Anna!" McGarrett said and backed up as she slashed at him. He knew he wasn't at full strength, and understood she was well trained. Just because she was a woman, didn't mean he should underestimate her abilities. He knew Chin and duke had to be there by now, and it was only a matter of time before they entered the house. The problem was, how much time did he have before his body betrayed him?

Steve shifted to the side when she tried to knife him, and knew she was as skilled with the weapon as she was with explosives. He needed to stop this before it went any further and gritted his teeth when she slashed a long gash across his midsection. Unlike a bullet wound, the pain was instantaneous, but he grabbed her wrist and twisted so her arm was behind her back. He heard her curse and tried to duck away as she drove her elbow backward with enough force to drive the air from his lungs.

**TBC**


End file.
